


Supernova

by EccentricFangirl777



Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, BAMF Lucy Heartfilia, Endgame Natsu Dragneel/Lucy Heartfilia, Eventual Romance, Light Angst, Mythological Elements, Original Celestial World Lore, Original Character(s), Slight worldbuilding
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-16
Updated: 2019-05-05
Packaged: 2019-09-17 09:22:19
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 24,394
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16971936
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EccentricFangirl777/pseuds/EccentricFangirl777
Summary: "The strongest Celestial Mage to have ever graced Earthland— the one who could end once and for all Ragnarok and his demons that threaten to overtake all the Realms and plague us with never ending chaos and pain... The Savior of the Realms of Light. Lady Lucy Heartfilia."....A new evil is rising, promising death and destruction in its wake. Lucy Heartfilia is called to save Earthland, but first she must learn how to properly use the full extent of Celestial Magic and gather the necessary items to defeat it. A Lucy-gets-stronger story.





	1. Prologue: I Want a Vacation

"One day," Lucy huffed, dodging the barrage of flaming spears aimed at her person. She landed harshly on some sharp rocks, ignoring the pain that lanced through her body. " _One da_ y we'll get a mission where we don't get into any unnecessary fights!" Her eyes widened when a huge boulder hurtled towards her, and she shrieked, crossing her arms in front of her face. There was a burst of heat, but no pain, so Lucy slowly opened one eye to assess the damage. Natsu stood before her, wielding a shit-eating grin on his face, his hand extended towards her.

"Oh come on, Luce!" he said, white teeth flashing. "It's so much more fun this way!" He suddenly jumped, bending his back into a perfect arc and executing a perfect back flip. He landed a meter away from his previous spot, three spears sticking up from where he was standing just seconds ago.

"Show off," Lucy grumbled, thoroughly not amused and maybe a little jealous. Natsu only grinned widely at her again before taking a running leap, flames engulfing his arms as he leapt over her. She felt the heat of his fire as he soared over her, feeling as if the wild hairs standing innocently atop her head would burst into tiny little flames. Lucy watched as Natsu jumped in front of one of the cloaked people that were so kind to have ambushed her  _and_ taken her whip and keys when she wasn't ready, a wicked grin on his face illuminated by his fire. She'd known Natsu for years now, not including their time at Tenrou, and yet she'd never understand the thrill he got from fights.

Of course, how would  _she_  know the thrill of a fight since all she got from them was a beaten body? How would  _she_ know the thrill of a fight since she had her spirits do it for her? Lucy watched as Happy carried Gray over a flaming rock and straight into an ambush-er. Damn it, even that damned cat was in on the action, and yet,  _she_ was standing there like an  _idiot_ because she didn't know how to fight properly without her items.

Fuck her life.

She needed a vacation.

* * *

Mirajane was highly amused.

It had only been six hours since Fairy Tail's legendary team had come back from a month-long mission, but their antics once more plagued the guild as if no time had passed. Gray and Natsu were at each other's throats  _again_ , with no one being able to do anything since the only one who could was too busy cherishing her precious strawberry cake. Wendy was caught in between Charle and Happy, who had attempted to give the young dragon slayer's Exceed fish that was long past its due date. And Lucy...

Well, Lucy was too busy mumbling into her cup of beer, with Cana by her side, no doubt influencing the younger mage to join her daily drunken practices. Mira supposed that she could've protested against it, but Lucy's rather aggressive agreement to Cana's proposal momentarily stunned Mirajane. By the time she shook herself from the initial shock, it was too late; Cana had transformed Lucy into a drinking monster.

Lucy slammed her mug forward, drooping eyes attempting to hold contact with Mirajane's own blue ones. "Yes, Lucy?" Mira asked, her lips twitching as she attempted not to laugh. ' _Dear Lord, she's so adorable!_ ' Mirajane squealed internally, an affectionate glimmer appearing in her eyes.

"Where's all the rum gone?" Lucy slurred, her head nodding forward before snapping back up.

"You were drinking beer, Lucy."

"Uhuahhghh," Lucy said in reply.

Cana slung her arm around Lucy's shoulder, laughing hysterically. "That's so funny, Lucy!" she howled. "Tell me more, tell me more!"

"Thieves! Thieves with weird, velvety cloaks!" Lucy yelled, her back straightening. "There was magic and lights a-and... and  _fire_!" Her eyes twinkled in admiration, and Mirajane leaned forward, her ears now wide open and alert. "Pretty fire..." Lucy slumped forward again.

"Do you want more beer, Lucy?" Mirajane asked, holding a jug in her hands. ' _Continue, dammit! I need my fix before this day ends!_ ' Unbeknownst to her, her eye began to twitch crazily, causing the approaching Macao to back away slowly from the bar.

"Yes please!" Lucy straightened again, nodding enthusiastically, much resembling a child hoping to convince her mother to give her cookies before dinner. Mirajane poured a little more beer into her mug, noting that somehow Lucy had finished her  _sixth_  mug when she wasn't looking. "You're the best, Mira," Lucy mumbled, and had Mira not gotten adept at translating the language of the drunken people, she would've never understood any of the garbled mess that escaped from Lucy's mouth.

"You look tired, Lucy," Mira commented. "What exactly happened? I thought it was only a retrieval mission."

"Was, but thieves! Ambush me... hah! Natsu..." Once again, Mira leaned forward as she attempted to decipher Lucy's drunken mumblings, the familiar glint returning in her eyes.

"What'd Natsu do?"

"Save me... again..." Mirajane's heart melted at Lucy's dejected tone, knowing that she hated feeling like a burden to the group. "Useless..."

Mira winced, then and there deciding that enough was enough for tonight. She felt a sliver of guilt for letting Lucy uncharacteristically drink a few beers just for the sake of entertainment and a little gossip. She should've known better, really. She went to grab for the mug in Lucy's grip, but the girl withdrew quickly, pulling the mug to her chest. "Mine!"

Mira sighed. "Lucy, it's getting late." She looked around the guild, which was nearly empty, with her, a knocked-out Cana, a pissed-drunk Lucy, Laki, and Wendy and a sleeping Charle being the only ones there still. Oddly enough, she hadn't noticed Gray or Natsu leave, especially since the two had made such a wild ruckus upon arrival. She placed her hand on Lucy's forearm, gently prying the mug from her grip. Lucy whined in response, but her grip slackened.

"Mira?"

"Yes?"

"Do you think I could ever be as strong as you?"

Mira smiled, her heart breaking slightly, and she gently squeezed Lucy's right hand. "You already are." Lucy giggled before her head lolled onto her folded arms. Mira's mouth twitched again, and she started gathering the empty bottles that littered the bar and the empty tables, Laki quietly helping her. "Hey, Laki?" The wood-make mage hummed in response. "Do you think you could drop Lucy off to her apartment?"

There was a bright flash, and Loke appeared before them. He gave them a slight smile, but it seemed almost strained. ' _Must be the light_ ,' Mira thought, but she knew better than to ignore her instincts. "I'll do it," he said softly, gently wrapping his left arm around her shoulders and sweeping his right arm under her knees, Lucy's head nestled on his chest. It was a cute sight, Mira begrudgingly thought, but there was something about the way Loke clutched the Celestial Mage close to his body that niggled at Mira's mind- she  _just didn't know what_. Mira's eyes stuck on him like glue, Loke moved towards the guild doors, which Wendy graciously opened for him.

"Wait, Loke." The Celestial Spirit froze in his tracks, but did not turn to face Mirajane. Pushing down the slight irritation of talking to someone's back, she continued, "Is everything alright?"

Loke chuckled, but it was dark, and the girls exchanged glances. "Mira..." he began. "I think something bad..." He paused before continuing, "I have a feeling that something bad will happen soon. Just... be careful. Please." With those cryptic words, Loke walked out of the guild doors, leaving behind three confused and worried girls.

* * *

"Ughhmmmm," Lucy groaned, rolling over in her bed when a wave of nausea washed through her. "Holy fuck," she hissed, grabbing her pounding head. Another wave of nausea hit her, and she gagged, bolting out of her bed and to her bathroom. She retched into the toilet, closing her eyes so she won't see the contents of her stomach thrown up. Her nose crinkled at the disgusting stench, and she reached up to flush the toilet. Releasing another moan, Lucy leaned on her toilet, her eyes squeezed shut, willing the pounding in her head to just go away. Too preoccupied with her lamentations and regret, Lucy didn't notice Loke appearing by her side, starting only when his cool hands wiped the sweat from her forehead. "Loke," she croaked, "what the hell did I do last night?"

"You drank." His voice was flat and accusatory, making Lucy wince in guilt.

"I was stressed," Lucy grumbled, standing to wash her face and mouth in the sink. "Don't blame me for having a moment of weakness..." Loke didn't reply, and Lucy took a quick glance at her surprisingly quiet spirit. He was standing silently near her bathtub, his face unreadable. "Loke?" Lucy stepped towards her spirit, hand out in an attempt to reassure him— but for what, Lucy had no clue. "Are you okay?"

Loke took a deep breath, his lips pursing in a thin line as he gazed at his worried master. "The Celestial World..." he started.

Lucy's eyes widened, and she closed the distance between them. "Did something happen? Are you guys alright? Loke, tell me what happened."

"No, no we're alright. It's just..." He seemed to be struggling finding his words, and Lucy's wide brown eyes searched his, as if the answer was hidden in his hooded eyes. "Lucy, the spirits and I have had... premonitions, almost."

"Of what?" she asked gently, fighting to keep her cool.

"I—" Taking a deep breath, Loke stared deep into Lucy's eyes. "We think something is targeting Celestial Mages. I don't know who or what is, but what matters is that you're in danger."

* * *

**Approx. Word Count: 1800**


	2. Sting Eucliffe and the News

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was beginning to write the 7th chapter for this story when I realized that I didn't update it on AO3. Haha OOPS. ^^; I'll try to post the other completed chapters by this Sunday, but if I'm not able to, it's on fanfiction.net, same title and under the same username.

The doors to the guild flung open, and everyone became quiet, turning to see who it was. "Sting-san!" Mira gasped, her eyes widening at the man standing in the doorway.

The normally-exuberant, blond guild master was leaning against the doorway, holding his ribs in pain, his breathing labored as if he had run a ten-kilometer marathon without stopping. His golden hair was messy and singed, flopping into his eyes so much that they couldn't see them. The cloak he wore was still smoking from a battle, and it was laden with rips and tears that seemed to come from a beast. Sting took a step forward, collapsing when his legs gave out on him. Macao, who was the nearest to him, ran forward and supported him before he could reach the ground. The guild members surrounded him, worried.

"What happened?" Lisanna gasped, her lips trembling. Was it a new threat?

"I— I need to talk to your master," Sting said, his voice strained as if he had screamed for hours. He lifted his head agonizingly slowly, and he scanned the members with tired eyes. They settled on one particular blonde standing next to a certain pink-haired dragon slayer and redheaded mage, widening in relief. "Lucy," he whispered before succumbing to his fatigue.

"Holy shit!"

"Sting-san!"

"Master, we need your help!"

"Oi, gramps, where are you?!"

"Hurry, get him to the infirmary!"

"Wendy! Come quickly!"

Amongst the chaos that descended, Erza quietly pulled Lucy aside. "Lucy, do you know why he might want to talk to you?" she asked, eyebrows furrowed.

The girl frowned, staring at the blonde man who was now being hauled by Macao and Wakabe to the infirmary. "I'm afraid not, Erza," she said. "But whatever it is... it's not good."

Several tense moments later, the infirmary door slid open, and once Makarov stepped out, the guild members began to bombard him with several questions.

"Gramps, what'd he say?"

"Master, is he okay?"

"Master, what happened to him?"

"Is everything alright?"

"Do you think there might be a new threat—"

"SILENCE!" Makarov roared, effectively cutting everyone off. They all shivered, now noticing the rare, solemn aura that surrounded the master only in the most serious of situations. His eyes softened to a weary tone, and he sighed. "Lucy," he called softly, gesturing for her to follow him, "come inside."

Lucy straightened, her eyebrows furrowing as she exchanged worried glances with Natsu. "Luce, do you know why Sting needs you?"

"No, I don't." Lucy shook her head, standing up and walking to the infirmary. She ignored the worried looks of the other members, lost in her own confusion.

Sting had arrived in the guild clearly after escaping a battle- from a mission gone wrong, most likely- that he seemed to have lost. Normally, the man was accompanied by Rogue, a presence that was obviously missing, so perhaps it had something to do with his partner. Her stomach sunk at the thought, but if that was the case, then why did he need her? Why did he travel all the way to the Fairy Tail guild to get her? Perhaps Fairy Tail was the closest place Sting could've gotten help from, but what didn't make sense was her involvement. Suddenly, a horrible, horrible thought occurred to her, stemming from her spirit's odd actions days before, but she shook her head. ' _Please don't let that be the case_.'

' _Yukino_...'

Lucy quietly closed the infirmary door behind her, noticing the Master's serious stance and Wendy fidgeting in the corner, her eyes darting between Sting's form on the bed and the rigid master. She looked up at the click of the door, her eyes brightening considerably when she noticed Lucy standing nearby. "Nee-san..."

"Wendy," Makarov said softly. "I'm sorry, but we need some privacy." He sent the young girl an apologetic glance, to which she responded with a nod and quickly walked out of the infirmary.

As soon as the door closed, Lucy asked, her fingers playing with each other, "Master? You needed me?"

Makarov beckoned for her to come closer. His eyes settling on Sting, he asked softly, "Sting-san, would you like to start?"

The man coughed slightly before nodding, his freshly-cut hair barely brushing the top of his forehead. "Lucy-san," he began, "I— there are lots of things to cover..."

"Why not start from the beginning?" Lucy gently suggested, taking a seat on the chair by the bed.

Sting took a deep breath. "A few days ago, I noticed that Yukino was acting a bit jittery. I assumed it was because she hadn't been on a mission for quite a while, so I offered to take her on one." His voice gained a wistful tone, and Lucy's stomach sank at the hidden pain in it. "I passed my position onto one of my trusted guild members—Orga Nanagear— that is, until we'd come back. Five days at the most, I told him."

"But something bad happened in the mission," Lucy guessed.

"Exactly." Noticing the scratchy quality Sting's voice gained, Lucy quietly stood, walking towards the water dispenser. "It seemed pretty simple, at first. Retrieve a magic book—"

Lucy whirled around, the cup of water in her hand sloshing haphazardly. "Magic book?" Lucy repeated, her knuckles turning white as she crushed the cup, water trickling through the crevices of her fingers. "Was it in a different language? Like ancient runes or hieroglyphics?"

Cobalt eyes clashed against chocolate-brown, one filled with confusion and shock while the other was filled with dread. "Lucy, do you think Yukino's—" He stopped himself, his voice losing the momentum curiosity had given it moments before.

"Me, Natsu, and the others were supposed to deliver an antique book to a museum from an heir, but we were intercepted by a group of cloaked thieves, all pretty tall and brawny. Their magic had a dark tinge to it, you know?" Lucy shook her head, and she turned back to the water dispenser, focusing on the stack of paper cups. "Sting, tell me everything that happened in that mission."

Sting exchanged brief glances with Makarov before he continued, "The mission was to retrieve a magic book in a small town just a few kilometers from Sabertooth. Unfortunately, it turned out the book was a fake, and Rogue, Yukino, and I were basically sent into a wild goose chase looking for the real one. Along the way, we encountered a group of thieves, but they were so strong. We were forced to retreat but they wouldn't stop chasing us."

"Thieves," Lucy repeated emptily, her mind starting to whirl with possibilities.

Sting gave her a strange look. "Yes," he nevertheless confirmed. "We escaped all the way to Oshibana, where they seemed to have lost us. There, I confronted Yukino about her behavior."

"What'd she say, then?" Lucy handed Sting a cup of cool water, which he accepted with gratitude, drinking the liquid as if he hadn't had anything to drink in days.

"She saw something. A—"

"A premonition."

Sting's eyebrows furrowed. "Yes, exactly. How did you know?"

Closing her eyes to shield herself from the intensity of Sting's and Makarov's stares, Lucy explained, "The morning after we arrived from a mission just a few days ago, Loke revealed to me that he and the spirits had gotten something similar. Not exactly a premonition, but a feeling... a presentiment that something horrifying would happen soon."

"Yukino told me the same thing," Sting said, his voice hollow. "She was going to tell me more about it, but.. but..." His voice died down, tears spilling from his eyes. Sorrow filled Lucy's stomach, and she grabbed Sting's hands in an attempt to give him strength, however little it may be. "She died in my arms, Lucy," he sobbed. "They killed her in front of me." Tears filled Lucy's eyes, threatening to spill as sobs began to wrack Sting's body. She pulled him into a hug, sharing his anguish, though it was not as large of a loss as Sting's. Yukino had been a friend of hers, a kindred spirit, but to Sting, Yukino was the love of his life.

Makarov watched them grieve, a deep sorrow in his heart. Sting may not have had the strongest relationship with him, but he was still just a child to the aging master. To suffer a loss such as this— he understood it well. When their sobs lessened, Makarov placed a caring but firm hand on Sting's shoulder. "Sting-san," he said, "did Yukino reveal any details about her premonition to you at all?"

Sting nodded, wiping his tears away and leaving behind red-rimmed eyes. "She said that a new evil would arise."

"A new evil?" Makarov frowned.

"Yes. One worse than Zeref." Chills ran down Makarov's spine. A couple years had passed since they had gotten past the hell thst was Zeref Dragneel, and the guild was  _still_  healing— but thankfully functioning beautifully— from the scars his presence had left. How much worse could one get than  _Zeref_?

"Yukino told me that this monster was evil incarnate, born from the darkness of humanity and the earth itself. Maybe..." Sting hesitated, but at the probing look from Makarov, he continued, "Maybe even from beyond."

"From beyond?"

"The Celestial World," Lucy murmured, and the two men turned to her. "There's a theory that the Celestial World is older than Earthland and surrounding alternate universes such as Edolas, supposedly even giving birth to the Earth. That's why there's only one Celestial World; no copies exist." Lucy tapped her chin. "Perhaps it came from there?"

"So we're possibly dealing with an evil being not of this world," Makarov surmised, tone heavy, "which means that it won't be bound by this world's rules."

There was a silence between them as they mulled over the implications of the fact. Sting fidgeted, pursing his lips as his fingers hovered over his coat. Steeling himself, Sting looked up and said, "Yukino wanted to tell you something, Lucy. Before—" Sting took a deep breath, pressing on, "before she died, she told me that it was imperative to get to you." He took something from his pocket, and Lucy's eyes widened when she recognized Yukino's keys.

"Sting, no—"

"Lucy, please. Please. For Yukino."

Lucy reluctantly took the keys from Sting's hands, almost reverently holding them. "Why?" she whispered, trembling.

"That new evil... it's from the Celestial World, you said?" Makarov asked, staring at Lucy. "I'm guessing that Yukino realized that Celestial Spirit mages had something to do with defeating it."

Something clicked, and Lucy reared back. "No. No. There's no way!" She laughed, shaking her head. "Master, I-I'm too weak—!"

Makarov glared darkly at the blonde, effectively cutting her off. "You are  _not_  weak," he hissed.

"I feel like I am," Lucy murmured, not intending for both to hear.

Makarov sighed, well knowing that Lucy often felt that way, but never fully understanding why. "Lucy Heartfilia," Makarov said, "you are more powerful than you see yourself to be. Yukino had seen a future evil, and immediately her thoughts came to you, and for good reason."

Taking one glance at the keys now in Lucy's hands, Makarov jumped from the ledge he had been standing on and began to pace."If the twelve Zodiac keys ever came into possession of one Celestial Mage, he or she would have the keys to open the gate that would change the world. If Yukino held three Zodiac keys, that would mean that currently, Lucy has all twelve of the Zodiac keys."

A shocking revelation slammed Lucy in the gut. "Thirteen..." she whispered, staring at the keys in her hands.

"What?" Makarov and Sting chorused, staring at her in confusion.

"There's a thirteenth Zodiac. Ophiuchus, the Snake-Charmer." Lucy scrutinized Sting. "Sting," she said slowly, "in Yukino's possession, there are three Zodiac keys, including Ophiuchus."

Makarov frowned. "So, then, you would only need to find the last key, no? That would make thirteen total."

Lucy shook her head "No, I have ten Zodiac keys in total. If Yukino possesses three, then I should have all of them." She dangled Yukino's keys in front of her, the glinting gold keys in her hand, her expression serious. "Sting, the keys you gave me... there are only two gold keys." Their eyes met. "Where's her third key?  _Where is Ophiuchus's key?_ "

Sting stared at her wide-eyed. "I— I don't know," he stuttered.

Lucy began to pace. "It has to be the thieves. Now that I think about it, there's no reason for a Celestial mage to have worked this mission. It was a trap," Lucy said, eyes darkening. "And I have a feeling that book was only a ruse that we unfortunately fell for."

Makarov stroked his chin, eyes deep in contemplation. "Lucy, what exactly happened in that mission?"

Lucy gulped, nodding. "Natsu was itching for a mission after days of inactivity..."

* * *

_"Oi, Lucy!" Natsu said, and Lucy, startled, jumped at his suddenly-close voice behind her, cutting off her conversation with Levy._

_Her pounding heart calming, she whirled around and glared at her partner of nearly four years. "What, Natsu?" she snapped, crossing her arms in irritation._

_Natsu only grinned and slammed a piece of paper on the table, nearly cracking it in half. "Let's go on a mission!" he bellowed, earning a soft giggle from Levy._

_Despite herself, Lucy felt her mouth twitch in amusement, and she gingerly grabbed the request Natsu oh-so-gently gave her. "'Missing book. Please help find. Last seen in Redguon Town. Much preferred if a Celestial Mage is involved. Reward...'" Lucy's eyes widened as they gained a greedy glint. "800,000 Jewels for a book?! That's basically two months of rent for my share!" she shrieked, making Natsu wince from the impossible high pitch her voice gained. "Natsu, either this mission is really hard or this book is really, really precious."_

_Natsu shrugged. "The price doesn't really matter. I just want to spend time with you and the team."_

_Lucy's eyebrows rose. "Gray included?"_

_His face scrunched up. "Oh gross no!" he snapped. "Popsicle Breath can go fuck himself!"_

_"What was that, Pinkie?" Gray roared, surprisingly hearing Natsu's comment despite being in the other side of the guild._

_"My hair is salmon, Ice Prick!" And with that declaration, they clashed._

_Lucy sighed. "There they go again," she mumbled and turned to Levy, who had a very, very happy expression on her face— unnaturally so. "Levy...?"_

_"Did you hear what he said?" Levy squealed. "He wants to spend time with you!"_

_To that, Lucy rolled her eyes. "Yeah, as his nakama. Look, I'm going to register this with Mira. And don't get any ideas," she warned, wagging a finger at Levy's face, to which the blue-haired girl only rolled her eyes. Walking her way to the bar where the beautiful white-haired barmaid stood, Lucy said, "Mira! We're going on a new mission!"_

_Mira grinned, setting down the mug she was wiping. She looked over the request Lucy handed her, her eyebrows piquing when she noticed the surprising reward. "800,000? Lucy, are you sure this won't be too hard. I mean, it's 800,000 jewels..."_

_"Nah, Natsu's going with me." At the glint in Mira's eyes, Lucy hastily added, "Erza and Gray are joining us, too, Mira."_

_"Uh-huh," Mira hummed, the evil glint never really leaving her eyes. "Well, here ya go, then. Have fun in that mission!" She sent the blonde a wink._

_"Impossible," Lucy grumbled, and after exchanging adieus with Levy, Lucy walked back to her apartment to pack for the upcoming mission._

_"Luce, what are you doing?" Lucy whirled around, shrieking at the sudden appearance of her partner's voice._

_"Natsu, will you please stop surprising me? I'll get a heart attack because of you!"_

_Happy flew from Natsu's head and above Lucy's own. "Nah. You'll get one because you eat too much and get fat!" he cackled._

_"Shut up, Happy!" Lucy threw the nearest object near her— which was, sadly, the first part of the novel she was still currently writing._

_"Ooh, Luce, are you finally letting me read your novel?" Natsu cried happily, grabbing the book that bounced off Happy's head._

_"No!" Lucy cried and attempted to swipe it from his hands. Natsu grinned, holding the book above his head, taking advantage of his height. Over the years, Natsu had grown much taller and muscular and more handsome— much to Lucy's chagrin. How was she to compete if lots of pretty girls were now clamoring for Natsu? "Oh that's just not fair..."_

_Natsu grinned, waving the book to further irritate Lucy. Leaning closer to her face, he whispered, "Try to get it, shortie."_

_A tick formed on Lucy's head._

_"Lucy KICK!"_

_Suffice to say, Natsu stayed over in Lucy's apartment... on the cold, hard floor. The next morning, the poor girl had to basically drag him out of her apartment and into the train station, the dragon slayer still knocked out._

_Erza, Gray, and Wendy who were waiting patiently with bags of their own, raised their eyebrows at the pink-haired male snoring against Lucy, with Happy following, heaving against the two bags he carried. "Lucy, what happened?" Erza asked, slightly amused as she took in the scene before her._

_"Kicked him too hard. He might have a concussion, but it's probably nothing, considering how thick his skull is." Gray snickered behind his hand, not bothering to hide his amusement. Lucy sheepishly looked at Wendy. "But just in case, can you check Wendy?"_

_Wendy laughed, shaking her head. "He's fine, Lucy-nee. It's just an excuse to be closer to you." Lucy gaped at the girl, dropping Natsu in shock. The others laughed, shaking their heads, and Erza took over, dragging Natsu to their designated seats._

_"So what're the details?" Erza questioned once the train started to move. On Lucy's lap was the unconscious Natsu, who Erza knocked out when he began to stir._

_"The requestor wanted us to find a book that was stolen. He'll meet us at Redguon for more details."_

_Redguon was a quirky town, growing slowly as merchants began to flock to the blooming businesses. It had taken a while for them to snap themselves out of the charming views Redguon offered, but they were able to return to their path, walking to the lone vacation home sitting atop a hill. Their client, a tall, handsome man with dark hair and regal clothes, explained that thieves had broken into his home to get a precious book handed down from generations of family history._

_He explained that he had no idea what the book was about because of the language, that it was only a precious family heirloom, but considering its age, their client assumed, it would probably cost a lot in the market. He directed them to the the forest nearby, where he had last traced the thieves to. The group quickly embarked into the journey, Natsu beyond excited at the prospect of participating in a fight. After a day of searching, Happy had wanted to go to a pond he had seen nearby and fish. Erza allowed him to go alone._

_That had been an hour ago._

_Lucy, Natsu, Erza, Gray, and Wendy were worried sick as they searched for the cat, calling out his name frantically. Charle even helped look. "Happy!" Natsu called, beside himself. He sniffed the air, trying to catch a sniff for his friend. His eyes widened. "Happy!" he cried and ran off in the trees._

_"Natsu wait!" Erza called and the group followed him._

_Except Lucy._

_There was an odd presence, one that swirled around her and invaded her senses, in the air, one that prompted the blonde to stay behind and search around the area to see what it was. That proved to be a mistake. A group of cloaked men, lean and tall in stature, appeared in the clearing before her, and before she knew it, Lucy found herself bereft of all her items and defenseless. So, she did the next best thing she could do._

_"NATSU!"_

* * *

"Natsu, calm down." Erza rubbed her forehead, her head hurting from watching the pink-haired boy pacing back and forth.

But even Erza's dangerous tone of voice was not enough to qualm Natsu's worries. "Why Lucy? What does that blond-haired freak want from Lucy?"

"Lucy's blonde, too, Fire Brain," Gray drawled, rolling his eyes, not willing to admit that he, too, was worried about his blonde teammate..

Chatter ceased once the infirmary doors opened, revealing a grim Master and Lucy. Questions burned beneath the Fairy Tail members, but the expressions on their beloved master and Spirit mage prevented them from saying anything further. Makarov and Lucy exchanged glances, and the older man nodded curtly, his mouth set into a firm line, his eyes dull from sadness.

Taking a deep breath, Lucy stepped forward, her eyes downcast and unable to meet anyone's gaze. Mustering all her strength, she forced the words out of her mouth— words that chilled the guild to their bones.

"I'm leaving the guild."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's the second chapter! Again, I posted the other chapters on fanfiction.net, but I'll try to update it on here in AO3.
> 
> I've also been thinking of revising the entire fic— which unfortunately means taking down the entire thing on both sites. But the decision's not final, and I'm still thinking about what to do, so don't worry about it! :) I'll just post the rest of the chapters in the meantime...
> 
> Thanks for waiting, y'all!!!!


	3. Always Lucy of Fairy Tail

It was a fun party, a large one consisting just of Fairy Tail mages and close friends befitting their beautiful and kind Spirit mage that was Lucy Heartfilia, but to Natsu, it was not as cracked up as Mirajane and the others made it to be. The laughter from reminiscing guild members, the saliva-inducing scents of Mirajane's cooking, and the cheery decorations were all empty to Natsu; they meant nothing, only hiding the emptiness that was the truth.

Lucy was leaving. His Lucy. His  _nakama._

His eyes burned, and Natsu rubbed them in frustration.  _Damn it._ Why was he crying so much? He felt a slight pressure on his shoulder, and he didn't have to look up to know it was Happy. But the cat didn't say anything, only sitting despondently on his shoulder, nibbling quietly on his fish. "I can't believing Lushee's leaving," Happy said, his eyes a bit glassy. "Why would she be leaving?"

Natsu huffed, having thought that question a million times the past ten hours. "I don't know," he grumbled. "I asked Gramps, but he didn't say a damn word. Then I asked Lucy but her girlfriends took her away from me before she could answer." He glared at nothing in particular. "It has something to do with that damned white bastard, I just know it."

Happy sighed. "It looked a bit more serious than that, Natsu," he said to deaf ears. Once the pink-haired dragon slayer set his mind to something, whether it be a goal or an idea, he rarely ever let it go. "Natsu?" Happy turned to face his longtime friend, who was staring at Lucy. The blonde was surrounded by several of her girlfriends, laughing and drinking the night away, and again, Natsu felt an ache deep in his heart.

Happy gulped down his fish, recognizing immediately the expression on Natsu's face, but not finding it in him to point it out to his friend.

"I'll miss her," Natsu said softly. "I can't imagine how it'd be without her." Happy couldn't say anything because it was true. An existence devoid of Lucy Heartfilia was unthinkable for the cat, even if he had teased and made fun of her countless times. For her to be leaving Fairy Tail, which he knew was everything for the Celestial Mage, out of seemingly nowhere seemed to be surreal. There was no way it was possible, but it  _was_. Lucy was leaving for whatever damn reason, and Natsu was not ready to let her go, but damn it if they'd wallow in pity and sorrow for her departure.

Happy tossed away the bones of the fish haphazardly to the side, hitting an unsuspecting mage who seemed to have been sleeping.

The duo sat there for a while, carefully watching their beloved Celestial mage having fun. The dull ache returned in Natsu's chest, but he couldn't help but smile when Lucy threw her head back to laugh at something Levy said. His throat began to tighten, and he felt his eyes burn, but he swallowed it. Gray was nearby and he didn't want him to see, that damn prick.

A loud cough from the balcony drew Natsu's attention, and the sound of metal clinking against glass filled the air, silencing the joyous sounds of the party. There in the balcony stood the Master, a soft smile on his face and holding a cup and fork in his hands. Makarov held up the glass in his hand, his eyes glistening under the lights. "To Lucy, our beloved Celestial Mage, the light of Fairy Tail!" The party occupants echoed his words enthusiastically, and soon, the air was filled with the scent of salt and sadness. "We will miss you in your journey, but we wish you all the luck in the world." Master looked down affectionately at Lucy, his smile widening.

"You may no longer bear Fairy Tail's mark, Lucy Heartfilia, but to us, you will always be Lucy of Fairy Tail."

* * *

Lucy's eyes were closed, feeling the vibrations of the train as it trod across Fiore. The cool glass against her forehead did little to calm her down, and Lucy found herself thinking back to the joyous smiles of her guild mates as they hid the pain of one of their own leaving. She thought back to the obnoxious drunken laughter of Cana's, the tinkling laughter of Mirajane's, the neverending obsession with books of Levy's, the softspoken words of Wendy's, the headstrong attitude of Erza's, the laidback drawl of Gray's, and the fiery temper of Natsu's. Sting was next to her, knocked out of his ass, but never before had Lucy felt as lonely as she did now.

She was leaving Fairy Tail.

No. She  _had left_ Fairy Tail.

Her home. Her best friends.

Her  _nakama_.

Lucy squeezed her eyes shut tighter than it had been before, silently willing the tears to go away. She had already spent all of last night after the party crying her ass off, and she didn't want to spend the rest of the train ride to Sabertooth in tears. She sighed, her breath frosting on the cooled window. ' _At least the scenery is pretty_ ,' she thought as she looked out at the endless forests and mountains.

Not soon after, the train pulled into the station, whistling its arrival. Lucy gently shook Sting, who jerked forward before snapping his eyes open. He blinked slowly, taking in his surroundings before landing at Lucy. "We're here?" he croaked, and she nodded, smiling slightly, handing him his bags. "That was quicker than I thought," he mumbled.

Lucy chuckled. "You were taking a nap."

"I suppose so." He stretched his arms and legs before standing. "You ready, Blondie?"

"You're blonde too, Sting," Lucy grumbled, and the two waited for the train to empty out. "Let's go." Sting quietly followed her, and Lucy felt a thick, thick silence descend upon them, threatening to suffocate her as seconds passed. She didn't say anything, though, because she understood.

The walk to Sabertooth was quite a challenge, as the guild was high in the mountains, but Lucy found herself almost enjoying the walk there had the atmosphere hadn't been so heavy and disconsolate, the thought of Yukino's death eminent but forbidden. The guild loomed over Lucy, but it no longer seemed as dark as Sabertooth's former reputation was, and she felt almost welcomed. Still, she was apprehensive, unsure if she was ready to face the members that laughed heartily at her defeat in the Games all those years ago.

But that was in the past, Lucy reminded herself. People change.

The guild hall was refurnished and comfortable, several chandeliers illuminating the room. Lucy froze when Sabertooth members stopped what they were doing and turned to their visitor and returned guild master. Like the walk to Sabertooth, the entire guild was silent and somber, their faces tired with grief. Lector quietly flew over to Sting, and the blond gripped his friend to his chest, burying his face in his red fur. Lucy looked away, tears appearing in her eyes, unable to bear watching someone mourn their lover. Sting stood there for a while before looking up, wiping at his puffy eyes. "Lucy," he rasped. "Sorry about that."

Lucy shook her head, her voice gentle. "Don't be."

Sting nodded, letting Lector go. He turned to a large, hulking man who Lucy knew was Orga, the Lightning God Slayer. "Orga, report to me." He looked back to Lucy. "I'll be back," he promised.

Lucy nodded, eyes trailing after the hulking men, before turning back to the guild. She stared at them awkwardly as they stared at her, curiosity clear in their eyes. She forced a smile on her face, and a few moments passed before the members turned back to whatever they were doing before the interruption. Lucy fidgeted, unsure of what to do, her eyes wandering over the guild's interior before they landed on a particular woman who was staring at her intensely. Slowly, she stood up, and Lucy gulped.

 _Minerva._ And she was walking towards her.

Once again, Lucy gulped, but she stayed where she was regardless of the fear coursing through her, frozen as the slim mage stopped before her. "Heartfilia," the mage began, her stance stiff. "Listen. About how I was—"

Lucy held up a hand, a small smile on her face, already knowing what she wanted to talk about. "I know, Minerva," she said softly. "But I've already forgiven you."

Minerva stared at her unblinkingly, and it seemed that her guild mates were as quiet as her. Lucy ignored the eyes boring into her; the two girls simply looked at each other before Minerva broke eye contact, bowing deeply. "Thank you," she whispered. Lucy smiled again, wanting to give her a hug but instead settled on a firm hand on the other mage's shoulders. Minerva straightened, locking eyes with Lucy once more before walking back to her seat.

A smile stayed on Lucy's face, her heart lighter than it was before. Granted, it was a bit sudden and awkward, but it was an apology nevertheless. The animosity between the two was no more, and Lucy felt freer than before.

"Lucy!" Sting called, and the blonde looked up at the Sabertooth guild master, who was beckoning for her. In his office, Sting settled into his chair, Lector by his side. "We have a lot to talk about," he said, tapping his fingers against his wooden desk. "What keys do you have of Yukino's?"

Ignoring the obvious crack of his voice at his lover's name, Lucy held up Yukino's former key ring. "Of the silver, I have Polaris and Deneb, and of the Zodiac keys, there's Pisces and Libra," she listed, grabbing the respective keys. "But Ophiuchus' key isn't here at all." She grabbed a nearby pen and loose paper, sketching the key that had captured her interest upon first seeing it. "Technically, you could argue it's a black key because of this black snake here." She traced the serpentine figure circling the length of the golden key. "But the fact still remains that it's a Zodiac, the 13th gate. I'm not sure if it's involvement with the original twelve is imperative to what Master Makarov said, but I don't want to take any chances whatsoever. Ophiuchus is already a powerful Spirit and it would be easy to abuse her power for the worst."She looked at Sting, a determined glint in her eyes. "I'm going to find Ophiuchus, Sting, no matter what it takes. I'll do it by myself or bring someone with me— doesn't matter as long as I get it done. For both Earthland and Yukino," she added quietly, her voice catching at the other Celestial mage's name.

Sting looked away. "They buried Yukino at one of her favorite parks nearby," he said quietly. "I'll be visiting her grave soon afterwards. If you'd like, you can join me."

Lucy shook her head. "I wouldn't want to intrude," she said, "but I will before I leave." She paused, unsure as she twiddled with her fingers. "Sting, I was wondering... is it possible if I can ask one of your guild members to aid me with finding Ophiuchus' key?"

Sting nodded, running a hand across his weary face. "I can help Lucy," Lector piped up, gaining the two's attention. "Go visit her, Sting." The two looked at each other, a silent conversation evident between them before Sting nodded again. The guild master stood without another word and glance towards them. Lector and Lucy watched sadly as Sting closed the door behind him, and the Exceed exhaled softly. "It's too soon," he said softly. "He just admitted his feelings for her two months ago. He's changed so much in a span of a few days."

Lucy looked down at her fingers, shakily expelling air from her lungs. Lector turned to her, anger in his eyes. "Promise me, Lucy," he said. "Promise me you'll find whoever killed Yukino. Exact retribution. Defeat them all."

Lucy looked at him dead in the eye. "I promise."

* * *

Lucy sat in front of Minerva, the blonde apprehensive with Lector's choice. Sure, the two made up and all rather recently, but that didn't make Lucy any less nervous! "So," Minerva said slowly, "you want me to help you find Yukino's missing key? Ophiuchus, you said?"

Lucy nodded, pulling out the drawing she had made for Sting. "It's the last Zodiac key," she explained, "but it's easily one of the most powerful Spirits, next to Leo the Lion and Aquarius. Sting and I have a feeling that whoever killed Yukino meant to take all her Zodiac keys, but wasn't able to lest they get caught." She gripped the edge of the table. "I need all those keys, Minerva, not so I'd have more but because the Zodiac keys seem to quite literally be the keys to a portal of some sort. I myself don't know what and where it'd open to, but it's imperative that I found out as soon as possible."

Minerva studied the blonde mage before her, finding herself a bit impressed by the determined glint in her eyes. "It almost sounds as if you're facing the end of the world, Heartfilia."

Lucy looked at the mage dead in the eyes. "I think it may very well be if we don't do anything as soon as possible."

Minerva looked down again at Lucy's drawing, remembering the key dangling in Yukino's repertoire of keys. She closed her eyes, remembering the mage's warm smile and eyes, gritting her teeth when she flashed back to Rogue holding her broken body days before, tears silently tracking down his face. She hadn't interacted much with the white-haired girl, but the impact she had on Sabertooth and on Sting was something she admired and had gotten used to. Hell, she even missed her smiles and laughter, and Minerva locked her jaw. She looked up at Lucy, her eyes steely. "Alright," Minerva said. "I'll help you."

Lucy smiled, but it looked empty. "Good," she said, humor coloring her tone. "I was afraid that I'd have to drag you with me."

Minerva blinked at the girl in shock before throwing her head back, laughter filling the guild once more after days of silence.

* * *

**_~4 Days Later~_ **

Lucy wiped the sweat that dripped down her face, absolutely exhausted. Redguon was a quite a whiles from Sabertooth, and the closest town a train could bring them was still quite far from Redguon; she and Minerva had had to walk on foot for the rest of the way. While the trek there was exhausting in itself, it was Minerva's insistence to train Lucy that had the girl dead-exhausted. Honestly, she should've known that Minerva could be such a slavedriver.

"Heartfilia, will you fucking focus?" Minerva snapped, withdrawing a blow to Lucy's arm. It seemed that her guild mates had rubbed off of her more than she thought, as Lucy had never pegged the older mage to curse. Ever. "Fucking hell, your closed-ranged combat is pathetic. I thought Titania was in your team?"

Lucy scowled, parrying another blow Minerva sent her way. "I've learned to manage," she bit out, a bit scathed. "Not everyone has to know hand-to-hand combat."

Minerva grinned ferally. "Not on my watch, girly," she said before swinging her leg, wrapping it around Lucy's ankle and pulling. Hard. Lucy blinked as stars exploded around her, the pain disappearing as quickly as it came. "You have a lot to learn," she said, holding out a hand in front of Lucy's face, "but that's okay." Lucy looked at her and her hand, stunned, but gripped it, allowing the momentum to pick herself up. Minerva smirked, but it was no longer the malicious expression she had on the Games. "It's almost six. Help me hunt a rabbit, and we'll cook it for dinner." Lucy winced, not wanting to partake in such cruelty, but her stomach quietly growled in protest. "Afterwards, we'll train again until we're exhausted."

"Me or you?" Lucy mumbled, earning a raised eyebrow from Minerva. "Nothing."

Minerva tossed her a set of handmade bow and arrows, beckoning for the Celestial mage to follow her once she had it shouldered. Lucy crept next to Minerva, matching her careful and soft footsteps. "Now," she said softly, causing Lucy to strain her ears just to hear despite being right next to her, "we have to be quiet. Absolutely quiet so we don't frighten any of the wildlife and alert them to our presence. Remember, we're predators and they're our prey." She grabbed Lucy's arm before the blonde could step on a twig. "Careful!" she hissed. "Look where you're going and make sure you're stepping heels first. It'll help with silencing your footsteps."

She surveyed the trees and ground, listening past the bird calls and singing wind. "Do you hear that?" she asked, cocking her head and beginning to notch an arrow to her arrow. "It's something relatively medium-sized, probably deer. Follow me, and ready your weapon." They crept forward, peeking past the bushes and taking notice of the herd of deer peacefully grazing at a grassy area. Eying one of the smallest deer, she whispered, "Pay attention. Aim for the center if they're still." She withdrew her bow quickly and silently and let go, her aim true and precise. The small deer tumbled down, and having sensed a predator, the others scattered, leaving their fallen comrade behind.

"Damn," Lucy said. "Where'd you learn all this, Minerva?"

The woman's eyes darkened considerably as she thought back to all the training she had as a child. "Myself," she said harshly, and Lucy blinked but thankfully didn't press any further. Minerva knelt down to the fallen deer, skinning it with skilled hands. "Lucy, do you know how to start a camp fire?" Lucy nodded, having done so herself in several of the missions she went with Team Natsu.

Within moments, the fire blared to life, crackling peacefully in the darkening forests. Minerva pierced a sharp piece of wood across the carcass and held it over the fire with the support of two other pieces of wood standing at its sides. As the deer slowly roasted over the fire, the girls spoke, Minerva about the training she received in childhood and Lucy about her pain over leaving Fairy Tail. Soon, their conversation turned to their current mission.

"So what exactly is your plan, Heartfilia?" Minerva asked, poking the venison with a stick. Deeming it safe to eat, she pulled out a knife. "What if that noble from Redguon refuses to say anything?"

Lucy shook her head. "We'll force him then," she said. "The book has got to be a clue, Minerva. I just know it."

Minerva eyed the blonde, obviously still a bit wary. "But supposedly, he doesn't have anything else. Suppose the book holds nothing."

"Then we retrace Yukino's steps," Lucy said darkly. "Loke told me a week ago about how the Celestial World was in an uproar. The next day, Sting arrives and tells us that Yukino, a Celestial Mage, had been killed. If it's a coincidence, it's a damn weird one."

"You don't think it's a coincidence." Minerva handed her a slice of venison, which Lucy accepted with a gracious smile. "Fine then. There's a connection between the two. But I can't see it."

"The only thing linking my and Yukino's mission is the ancient book and the thieves." Lucy held up two fingers. "What interests me, however, is the fact that the thieves Yukino, Sting, and Rogue encountered match the description of the thieves that we encountered in our mission and the fact that this ancient book also seems to be in two places at once." She paused to take a bite of the meat, and at Minerva's questioning look, she elaborated, "Sting drew the book's cover, and the runes that covered it were similar to the one we had during the Redguon mission."

Minerva tilted her head, deep in thought. "Were you able to translate the book's contents?"

Lucy shook her head. "Sadly, no, but I recognized the language. It resembled the books of the ancient Celestial Mages my mother had before, back when she was still alive."

" _Ancient_ Celestial Mages?" Minerva repeated incredulously.

Lucy nodded emphatically. "That's what I thought too, but way back when Celestial Magic was practiced more often, there were societies, little towns of Celestial Mages that banded together."

"Damn," Minerva muttered. "But now, Celestial Magic is slowly becoming a lost art."

"Especially with the limited keys. Only a select, lucky few are blessed enough to have them. Like me." She gently stroked the keys on her waist, a soft smile on her face as she felt her Spirits' warmth and love. "Anyways," Lucy continued, snapping herself back to the mission at hand. "One of the books has got to be a fake, and I don't think it's the one we tried to get from thieves."

Minerva stared at the blonde in shock. "Are you saying that Yukino's death isn't an accident?"

Gravely, Lucy nodded, her eyes dark. "Yes. We— Master Makarov, Sting, and I— we believe that someone's targeting Celestial Spirit mages. The thieves that my team and I encountered were probably out to kill me too and get all my keys, but I was lucky enough to have escaped thanks to Natsu and the others."

"So then what about the noble in Redguon?"

"I think he knows more than we do," Lucy said quietly, poking the dying fire with a stick. "I'm planning of extracting information from him."

Minerva's eyebrows disappeared beneath her hairline. "I like the way you think, Heartfilia." She grinned deviously, her white teeth glinting in the fire's light. Wiping her hands on her sides, she stood, that predatory grin still on her face, and Lucy shivered, shying away nervously from the older woman. "Now, that was a great talk and all, but I believe we still have time to train, Lucy dear."

Lucy groaned, her shoulders slumping as Minerva released an evil, evil laugh.

This just was not her week.


	4. Eltanin the Noble

**~2 Days Later~**

"Well," Minerva said, staring up at the large mansion with wide eyes. "This is unnecessarily huge."

Lucy grinned, silently agreeing with her before raising her fist to knock on the large, oaken doors. Before she could even touch the varnished doors, however, the doors flew open, revealing the same handsome noble Lucy and her team encountered just over a week ago. He smiled slightly, his oddly-sparkling eyes crinkling cutely at the edges. "Ms. Heartfilia, I've been expecting you," he said, and Lucy wondered if his voice had always been that deep. The noble widened the door, beckoning them to follow him in.

The interior of the mansion was just as large as the outside, but strangely enough, was bereft of most furniture and decorations, the basic few only filling the spaces they walked through and resembling what Lucy would have called a Spartan lifestyle... had it not been for the fact that the male lived in such a huge mansion. The walls were a beautiful marble but bare, the floors a beautiful white stone that Lucy couldn't place, and the ceiling— oh  _Spirits_ , the ceiling! It reminded her of the twinkling stars of the night sky, and she felt empowered underneath the lights. She looked briefly at Minerva, who was staring up at the ceiling in wonder as well.

The sound of a throat clearing brought the two back to the handsome male, who was smiling at them gently. "It's beautiful, isn't it?" he asked. "It took me a while, but I like the results."

Lucy's breath caught. "You did this?"

"Of course," he said simply. He opened another door, this time white, and he held it open. Once they were inside what looked like a study, he gestured at the sofas and chairs that were gathered in the center. "Come, sit. I have quite to talk to you about, Miss Heartfilia." He turned to Minerva, smiling at her gently. "But first, I would like to meet your companion."

Minerva smiled back, admittedly charmed by the noble. "Minerva," she said, holding out her hand for him to shake.

The noble's eyes widened. "Like the goddess of wisdom and war," he said softly, taking her hand and placing a smooth kiss on her knuckles. Lucy watched, amused, as Minerva actually blushed at his action. "My name is Eltanin, miladies." He reclined his head briefly.

"Eltanin," Lucy said. "Earlier, you said you were expecting me?"

Eltanin nodded, his face slipping into a mask of cool indifference that Lucy immediately recognized from her upbringing and exposure to the nobility's culture. "I have." He moved to one of the many shelves of the room, grabbing a withered red book that Lucy realized was the book she and her team had fought to get from the thieves. "This book here holds several of the records documented from the very first and oldest Celestial Mage order." Lucy sucked in a breath, and catching that, Eltanin turned to her, his eyes understanding. "The Orion Order had always been the center of knowledge for Celestial magic, with only the most powerful of Celestial Mages able to join it. It hurts to say, but when the order died, so did the proper use of Celestial Magic." He locked eyes with Lucy. "The Heartfilia clan had always been the overseers of the Order." His eyes shut, and he tilted his head. "Your mother was the last to lead the Order, Lady Lucy Heartfilia, before her illness overtook her."

Lucy stiffened, and she distantly noted Minerva reaching for her hand in support. "What?"

"The Heartfilias have always been an active part of the Order because their bloodline always produced the strongest Celestial Mages Earthland had to offer. Your mother had been the one to lead the Orion Order, and it was a part of her life even after she settled down with Jude and had you."

Lucy gaped at Eltanin, unsure if she just heard him correctly. "But I thought the Orion Order was just a story." She immediately backtracked upon seeing Eltanin's face. "I mean, thought that the Order was a thing of the past. I didn't think she actually meant that it still existed!"

Eltanin released a quiet sigh before settling on the chair in front of the two women. "Unfortunately, the Order now is a thing of the past. Celestial Mages have become so few in between, and the magic itself had become tainted by those who abused the Celestial Spirits. The Order had already lost its mission even before your mother ascended to lead it, and it dissolved fully when Layla passed. No one was strong enough to take the position, nor was anyone truly aware of its existence, and it eventually became only a legend here in Earthland.

"But still, all its work on Celestial Magic has been documented." He held up the book in his hands. "Every secret, every nuance of the Celestial Magic the Order had uncovered during its existence is written here."

"Is that why the thieves took it?" Lucy wondered.

A shadow clouded over Eltanin's countenance. "Those thieves you and Lady Yukino have encountered were not normal thieves, Lady Lucy." He placed the book gently on a nearby table. "Have you ever heard of Ragnarok?"

Lucy's eyes widened, and she exchanged glances with Minerva. "Now, isn't  _that_  just a myth? You know, one meant to scare the kids?" she asked.

Eltanin scoffed. "Unfortunately, no, it's not. Ragnarok, the Harbinger of Death and Destruction, borne from the Celestial World and manifested itself outside in the natural chaos that surrounded the Realms of Light— the Celestial World and the worlds surrounding it. Ragnarok's fights have remained with Draco for years until he was unleashed in Earthland. The battle between Celestial Mages and Ragnarok did not seem to have an end in sight until one of your earlier ancestors, the brother of Anna Heartfilia, gave his life in sealing it.

"Lady Lucy, I'm sure you've heard of the upset in the Celestial World, recently?" At Lucy's nod, he continued, "400 years ago, when your ancestor Anna Heartfilia was still alive, Ragnarok was rumored to have been awoken by the dark mage Zeref and the darkness that came with him." Lucy and Minerva both stiffened, which Eltanin noticed immediately. "I know the unimaginable pain and scars Zeref and his minions have inflicted on you and your nakama, Ladies Lucy and Minerva, and perhaps it was this pain, the chaos that comes with Zeref that attracted Ragnarok." He paused then, quietly uttering, "Perhaps Zeref would've been a pawn in Ragnarok's plans had it not been for the seals that contained him." He sighed, rubbing his nose in frustration. "Unfortunately, those very seals have been broken, and his true form will once more gain a corporeal vessel to wreck Earthland and eventually the Celestial World."

"What caused those seals to be broken?" Minerva wondered. "It doesn't seem as if Zeref would do it himself."

Lucy brushed her hair behind her ear. "I believe it's because it's the second time Ragnarok was called to the chaos in Earthland. What I want to know is why did Ragnarok's followers wait so long? Why couldn't they have done it back when Anna was still alive, back when Zeref was still alive, back when the dragons and their Slayers were still alive, back when the Etherious were still prevalent?"

Eltanin didn't respond, his eyes flicking between Lucy and Minerva. "Lady Minerva," he began, "it is important that whatever information I reveal here must not be repeated when you arrive back in Sabertooth."

Minerva nodded slowly, but her eyebrows raised. "I will, but how do you know that I'm from Sabertooth?"

Eltanin only smirked. "That, milady, is for me to know and for you to find out." Minerva snorted, crossing her arms. "A long, long time ago, when the Orion Order was still in its infancy, a prophecy was made. An epic battle against light and darkness." Eltanin spread his hands, and the entire room darkened, save for the sparkling images that sprang forth from Eltanin's hands. A roaring dragon reared its mighty head, exhaling flames of glimmers and glitters. "Many believed at first that it would be Draco, the Guardian of the Celestial World, but it wasn't."

The dragon faded into a shower of fallen stars, and a bundled baby floated in its wake, squirming against the hold of the blanket, almost as if it were crying. "The strongest Celestial Mage to have ever graced Earthland— the one who could end once and for all Ragnarok and his demons that threaten to overtake all the Realms and plague us with never ending chaos and pain."

Whorls of multicolored lights and shadows clashed at each other, light conquering shadow, shadow choking light until a large flame-like light brighter than its size, burst forth, chasing away the shadows that threatened to overcome the light. The overhead bulbs and lamps flickered back on, and the girls looked back at Eltanin, whose palms were now closed and settled on his lap.

"The Savior of the Realms of Light. Lady Lucy Heartfilia." Lucy's heart thudded painfully against her rib cage as she stared at him, mouth agape and in shock. Eltanin smiled a little half-smile.

"Your fate, my dear, is quite literally written in the stars."

* * *

"I do apologize for this, Lady Minerva," Eltanin said, bowing in repentance. "But unfortunately, Lady Lucy must continue on this journey alone." He bowed deeply, sweeping Minerva's hand in his own, and pressed his lips against the back of her hand. Lucy's eyebrows rose in disbelief when Minerva blushed a soft pink. "Do not worry, I will not let any harm to Lady Lucy, and I encourage you tell her nakama that she is safe." He straightened. "I bid you a safe journey, my goddess."

Once Minerva was on her way, Lucy crossed her arms, tapping her foot irritatedly against the marble floor as she gave Eltanin a judging look. "Okay, what was that?" she demanded. Eltanin only blinked at her owlishly, a picture of pure innocence. Lucy snorted inwardly. 'As if!' she thought viciously.

"Whatever do you mean?" Eltanin asked airily, gliding away from Lucy.

"You did something," Lucy accused, quickly matching his steps. "Not anything harmful, but you enchanted her with your magic or something—"

Eltanin dramatically pressed a palm against his heart. "I have no idea what you mean, Lady Lucy."

"Cut the Lady Lucy crap!" Lucy snapped. "I know who you are, Eltanin!"

"Oh?"

"Your name. It's obvious. The brightest star in Draco's constellation? Please. You're Draco, the Celestial Dragon himself."

Eltanin actually whirled around to gape at her, and Lucy felt a well of pride consume her.

 _Damn_ , she was good—

Eltanin burst out laughing, grabbing his stomach as he seemed to lose himself in his amusement. "What?" Lucy demanded, stamping her foot in annoyance. "What the hell's so funny, Eltanin?"

"You think I'm Draco! Me!" he said between laughter before doubling over, tears starting to stream down his face.

"Well, yeah..." Lucy said uncertainly, eyeing the noble who no longer seemed like a noble with the way he was laughing incorrigibly.

"Oh, milady, no. I am most certainly not Draco." He waved a hand flippantly. "No, no, I'm his  _son_ ," he said, as if it were the most obvious thing of the world.

Lucy's jaw dropped. "What?!" she screeched.

Eltanin nodded, waving his palm forward. "Come. I'll show you. But first," he paused, glancing down at Lucy's hips, where her beloved keys were located. "We need the thirteen Zodiac keys."

Lucy stiffened. "I have twelve, but I don't have—"

"Ophiuchus' key?" Eltanin held up a golden key with a black serpent wrapped around its length. "I had to track down the thieves that stole it from Lady Yukino." Lucy's trembling hand cradled the key gently, her eyes tearing up as she remembered her beautiful friend. "Lady Lucy," Eltanin said after a few moments had passed. "The Zodiac keys are powerful enough by themselves, but all thirteen? They open the gateways to numerous worlds, including the one where Draco resides."

"Pardon? Did you just say what I think you just said?"

"It's true. There are reasons why Ragnarok and its followers wish to hunt down Celestial Mages. One, they need the Zodiac keys to open the gateway into Draco's Realm. He's at the most vulnerable there, and it's easier for one to kill my father once inside. Once he's out of the picture, the Celestial Realm could be overtaken in an instant." He snapped his fingers to emphasize his words.

"Two, Ragnarok wants all the Celestial Spirit keys. All of it. They want the entire Celestial Spirit World under their fingertips, and what better way than to create contracts with said spirits and manipulate them like they were items instead of beings?" His voice gained a bitter edge. As quickly as it came though, Eltanin shook it off.

"Three," he continued, regaining his normal tone of voice, "Celestial Magic, once you know all of its hidden gems, is one of the most versatile and potentially powerful types of magic out there. If Ragnarok finds a way to control them, it'll manipulate their magic and use it for himself.

"And finally, four... Celestial Mages, especially ones who were born with the power, are directly connected to the Celestial World, the original of the Realms of Light. Because their magic is connected with the Heavens and the Celestials, Celestial Mages are theoretically the only ones who could destroy Ragnarok, a Celestial himself."

"I'm a borne Celestial Mage," Lucy said absently. Eltanin just looked at her, smirking when the blonde's eyes widened with her epiphany. "No," she said vehemently. "There's no way, Eltanin. I told you, there's no way I could be 'the Savior of the Realms of Light'—'' She emphasized her words with her fingers, her voice mocking and deep like Eltanin's own. "—because I'm just not that powerful!"

Eltanin snorted, rolling his eyes. "Of course, you're powerful Lady— er, Lucy, sorry. You just need some proper training." He poked her forehead gently. "Honestly, the fact that you're able to keep three Celestial Spirits gates open and forcefully close them on your own is impressive enough. Add that to the fact that you've got that old geezer's attention..."

Lucy huffed, ignoring Eltanin's compliments, getting straight to the heart of the issue. "What, will you be training me?"

"Nah, of course not!" He began to walk away again, leaving Lucy no choice but to trail after him. "But my father will!"

Lucy's eyes bulged out of her sockets, and she began choking on her own spit. "Your  _father_?!" she squeaked, her entire face resembling a tomato. "As in, Draco the Celestial Dragon?"

"The one and only."

"How the hell—"

"You have all thirteen keys, yes?"

Lucy nodded warily before the bomb dropped. "Holy shit!" Lucy squeaked, her mouth dropping. "You're not saying that we'll actually...?"

"Oh, yeah," Eltanin said, smirking. "We're visiting my father. Right now." He turned to Lucy. "Now, take out all your Zodiac Keys and place them together based off of their longitudinal positions in the night sky during the Vernal Equinox." At her blank stare, Eltanin sighed dramatically. "Beginning of spring, Lucy— usually in March, starting with Aries, Taurus—"

"—Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpius, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius, and Pisces," Lucy finished, placing her keys in the respective order. "And because Ophiuchus is the infamous thirteenth gate—"

"She'll be the one to actually physically open the doorway once the spell is complete," Eltanin said, grinning. He stepped closer to her, holding out his hands. "Are you ready, my princess?"

"Ugh, you're worse than Loke," Lucy said, rolling her eyes, but grabbed his hands nevertheless.

Eltanin only smirked before closing his eyes. "Close your eyes, Lucy," he instructed, "and call upon the magic of your Celestial Spirits. Keep your eyes closed unless you want to be blinded afterwards." He then began to chant in a beautiful, lilting language, and then, there was a burst of powerful magic as Lucy felt each and every one of her Celestial Spirits and their magic fill her. Lucy longed to open her eyes and see what was happening, but Eltanin's warning resonated in her mind, and she forced herself to keep them closed, focusing instead in the beauty and strength of the magic of the Zodiacs. "Lucy. Open your eyes."

Lucy's eyes opened, and they widened when she noticed the shimmering door, as dark as the night sky, standing before her and Eltanin. Taking a deep breath, she held Ophiuchus' key in one hand, raising it to the center of the doorway, where the clustered stars distinctly formed a key-shaped hole. At first nothing happened, but then the living room slowly began to melt away, the furniture, walls, and floors slowly oscillating into darkness.

Lucy teetered slightly, her body and head suddenly lighter. "What's happening?" she muttered, squeezing her eyes shut to will away the vertigo that hit her. She fell harshly on her bottom, and her eyes flew open in shock when she felt grass poke her bare skin instead of the cold marble floor of the manor.

"What the hell?" she wondered, glancing at the scenery around her, slowly standing up, jaw slack as she absently brushed her skirt and thighs.

Instead of the empty halls of the manor she had been standing in just five seconds ago, grass-lined hills filled with beautiful, tall trees bearing red and golden fruits filled her vision. A river separated the grassy hills, and Lucy marveled at the creatures gathering in around the river's clear waters. In the distance, large rock formations barely touched wispy clouds that dotted the clear, cerulean skies. And in the center of it all, standing by the largest tree she had ever seen, was a massive dragon, with powerful wings like the galaxies of the sky, its body a dark navy blue, and a large ball of gas shifting on its stomach, reminiscent of the sun.

_Draco, the Celestial Dragon._

Lucy didn't know her eyes could get any wider than they were at the moment when she realized that Draco had noticed her present and was slowly lumbering his way towards her. He was much larger up close, towering over her person by several meters. He bent his large neck down to study her before booming in a loud voice, "Celestial Mage, what is your business in my realm?"

Pushing aside her anxieties, Lucy took a deep breath, willing her voice to come out steady. "My name is Lucy Heartfilia," she began, "and I came to ask you for your help."

Draco snorted, retreating his head back. "I am Draco, Guardian of the Constellations, Warrior of the Celestials, Keeper of the Heavens. Tell me, why should I waste my time mentoring you in the brink of evil's awakening? Why should I bow down to you? " He leaned closer, the heat of his breath washing over her. So close were his obsidian eyes, she could see the constellations and nebula of the heavens he was made to protect twinkling deeply inside. "Tell me. Why should you be my slayer, Heartfilia?"

Lucy repressed the shivers that threatened to shake her body. "I am Lucy Heartfilia," she repeated, "the last of the Heartfilia clan and the last of the Borne Celestial Mages. I wish not to be your slayer, but your protege. Teach me your ways, O Draco, and allow me to aid you in protecting the Balanced Realms from the darkness that threatens them."

Draco said nothing, hovering over her in silence. "And should you fail?" he asked softly, his voice echoing with heavy weight in his words.

Lucy shook her head. "I'm afraid failure is not an option I will be considering, O Draco. Time is running out, and I refuse to allow this burden to anyone else. I alone will carry this with you, Thuban." She said his true name loudly and surely, meeting his literally-twinkling eyes, much like Eltanin's, she realized, with conviction.

The celestial dragon slowly grinned, baring sparkling teeth as bright as the sun. He chuckled lowly, the air vibrating almost ominously around him.

"Very well, Mage. I accept your request," he murmured, his voice reverberating in Lucy's ears. "Lucy Heartfilia... my first Celestial Dragon slayer, Savior of the Realms of Light."

Eltanin, who had been leaning against a boulder watching the blonde mage and the Celestial Dragon's exchange, stepped out from the shadows, his crossed arms falling to his sides. With a wide, shit-eating grin on his face, waving merrily at the dragon, he said:

"S'up, pops!"

* * *

"What do you mean, we're staying with Draco and training there?" Lucy demanded, following Eltanin around the mansion with a suitcase in his hands.

"Exactly that!" Eltanin chirped before turning to Lucy. "Now, what size are you?" His eyes surveyed her figure, and Lucy's eyes began to twitch dangerously. "Hmm... We may need to buy you some clothes instead. As pretty as you are, princess, I don't like to share."

Lucy gaped at him. "What?" she said before shaking her head. "Look, Eltanin, I thought we were training here. You know, in your mansion?" She gestured wildly around her. "I didn't think you meant we'd be training in the Celestial World!"

"Ah-uh-uh-uh," Eltanin said, shaking his head. "Not the Celestial World. The Garden of Hesperides. My dear old pop's own little niche. There's a difference, you know." He tossed the suitcase in a random room, and Lucy winced when several bangs could be heard as it toppled against something.

"Well, what's the difference?" she asked huffily, having to run after him since he walked so quickly with his freakishly long legs. "Aren't they both technically the same, since Draco's also technically a Celestial Spirit?"

"For the most part, time," Eltanin replied, holding the large oaken doors open for Lucy. They walked down the numerous steps to Redguon as he explained, "Or, rather, the lack thereof. My pops, being the Guardian of the Celestial World and all, has to be in a state of constant vigilance in order to properly carry out his duties, so he bent a couple rules and made his own little realm to fulfill his conditions. Like the Celestial World to Celestial Spirit mages, the realm Pops resides in can be accessed by Spirits— with permission of that old geezer king, of course— and Celestial Spirit mages by way of the thirteen Zodiac keys, like we just did yesterday." He unlocked the gate, once again waiting for Lucy to pass through.

"Because there are practically no time constraints in the Garden, you can spend as much time as you need there training your ass off without wasting a single second in Earthland. That, and the Garden is an extension of the Celestial World, and it revolves around Celestial Magic. Frankly, it's the best option for your training." He turned to Lucy. "Plus, your Spirits could always come by and help you train. There's plenty of space there, you know. You can technically fit all thirteen Zodiacs in the Garden." When a couple of the townspeople waved at them, Eltanin waved back, a cheery smile on his face. "Any questions?" he asked Lucy, walking towards a particular boutique not far from where they stood.

"Yeah," Lucy said, her mind whirling."I don't understand how the Garden of Hesperides could have no time."

Eltanin pursed his lips. 'Damn humans,' he thought irritatedly. 'Always dependent on time.' "You noticed that the sun was out in the Garden, right?" he finally asked. "As long as the light rules Earthland, the Garden would always be light."

"What's your point?"

"The point is," Eltanin said, his voice gaining a higher pitch, "as long as everything is good and perfect in Earthland, no time will pass in the Garden. IT's when the balance is tipped to the dark's favor everything goes to hell."

"But then, what about Ragnarok? I thought he or it ir whatever it is was already released."

"Yes. Yes, he is, but Ragnarok's still trapped by one more seal: finding a corporeal vessel strong enough to hold it." He turned to her. "Mind you, Ragnarok is very, very strong. Its power is so strong, that even an S-class mage from your world is unable to hold it for very long. Kinda like Lucifer, ya know what I'm saying?" He nudged her, a lopsided grin stretching over his face. "Damn, I love that show!"

Lucy only stared at him. "You're crazy," she said dryly.

Eltanin threw his head back and laughed. "You try living with a pompous dragon, princess, with nothing to do in Hesperides, and see if you don't lose your mind in the process." He clapped his hands excitedly, stopping in front of the cute little boutique he had in mind. "Now, for some clothes. I don't want to see my beautiful princess like this all the time." He pointed an accusing finger at her current outfit. "I need some variety in my life, you know."

For the nth time that day, Lucy found herself rolling her eyes at the man's actions.

But, well, she found herself liking it anyways.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A new character is introduced! How do you all like him? :)


	5. Training

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A brief look at the training Lucy endures in the Garden

" _Don't go." Warm arms wrapped around her waist, and she felt hair tickling her ears as Natsu buried his nose in her neck. Lucy froze, nearly dropping the pan she was holding, unable to do anything._

_"N-Natsu!" she stuttered, quickly shaking herself inwardly to prevent her heart from beating itself out of her ribcage. "What's wrong?"_

_"You're leaving us. Me," Natsu said, and his chin settled on her shoulder. She could feel the weight of his gaze on her, and she felt her earlier confidence in her decision waver. But then, she thought of Yukino and the danger Fairy Tail could be in should she stay. She had to do it, Lucy reminded herself. She didn't have much of a choice._

_Lucy quietly set down the pan and turned around, snuggling closer to the heater that was Natsu's body. She wrapped her arms around him, meeting his hug. "I'm sorry, Natsu," she said, her voice muffled into Natsu's chest. "I have to do it. For Yukino and myself." Natsu didn't say anything for a while, simply bringing Lucy closer to his body. Then, something wet dropped onto her shoulder and Lucy nearly wretched out of Natsu's hold. Was Natsu… crying?_

_Finally, he spoke, "Please don't leave me. I'll miss you."_

_"... I'll miss you, too."_

Lucy blinked awake, the stray tears gathering at the corner of her eyes falling past her cheeks and onto the cavern's stone floor. Damn. She stared up at the cave's ceiling, her eyes slowly adjusting against the darkness and seeing the individual stalactites above her. Eltanin's snores, a staccato beat without any particular rhythm, echoed loudly in her ears, and she would have laughed if she didn't feel so homesick. She missed them. Her friends. Her family. Fairy Tail.

Natsu.

Lucy exhaled, rolling out of her comfortable sleeping bag. At first, she had been highly uncomfortable for the first few naps, unable to sleep as her back was not used to the hard bedding the cave so kindly provided. It proved to her just how long she had spent training in the Garden, and she wondered how long it actually was for her in Earthland time. Would she still be the same when she returned to Fairy Tail?

'Y _ou're no longer under the jurisdiction of Earthland, Lucy. That includes time._ '

Eltanin's words when she expressed her worries of aging echoed in her head. It was hard for her to wrap her mind around. Literally for her entire life, Lucy was constantly reminded of time, surrounded by time. She had only six short years with her mother, and when Layla became sick, Lucy was only given a seven months to spend with her. She'd always celebrate her and her friend's birthdays, a reminder of how much time had passed since their birth and first memory. Hell, one of her spirits, Horologium, was the embodiment of time. She was used to time and lived around time.

Here, she was not. Time didn't exist, and as such, neither was age.

But, still, she felt older than she had when she first stepped foot into Hesperides.

A headache began to form behind her eyes. "I should stop overthinking things," Lucy grumbled, slowly getting up and stretching her sore limbs.

"Good luck with that, princess," Eltanin drawled from next to her, startling Lucy. Her yelp reverberated loudly around the cave, and she stumbled backwards, landing painfully on her backside. Eltanin gaped at her before he burst out laughing. As quickly as he had laughed though, he winced, clutching his ribs in pain. "Ugh," he wheezed, "I think that hit you got in last time broke my ribs. I can barely breathe without it hurting."

Lucy shrugged. "Not my fault you didn't parry," she shot over her shoulder, tossing her golden hair back and attempting to collect her fallen dignity.

"Bitch," Eltanin muttered only to feel an uncomfortably hot puff of breath on his body. "Ah!" he screeched, rubbing his head furiously. He looked up at the shadows, a put-out expression on his face "Pops!" he whined. "What was the fuck was that for?"

The celestial dragon shuffled into sight, his voice rumbling, "Watch your language, son."

"Great. Barely even know the girl, and she has you wrapped around her little finger," Eltanin grumbled petulantly, brushing off the dust on his sleeping wear. Draco snorted, bending down and roughly pushing his son's body towards the opening of the cave. "Okay, okay, I got it!"

"When did I get such an annoying son?" A tick formed over Eltanin's eyes, but he continued to mumble under his breath, shuffling towards the cave's mouth.

Now in clothes fit for training, Lucy watched the father-son duo, covering her mouth as silent giggles wracked her body. Throughout her training in Hesperides attempting to build her stamina, speed, and strength— the three "S's" as Lucy called them in her head— she had noticed the affectionate relationship between the two. Granted, it was full of arguments and petty topics, but it was a relationship akin to one Lucy assumed Natsu had shared with his dragon, Igneel.

 _Natsu_.

Her heart twinged in pain. She missed him so much. She wondered how he and everyone else in the guild were faring and what they were up to when she remembered that perhaps not much time had passed on Earthland since she bought clothes in Redguon with Eltanin, if any time had passed at all.

Ugh, she really should remember that time was different, practically nonexistent, in the Garden.

"Maybe we should work on your alertness next lesson, princess," Eltanin's voice boomed in her ear, and Lucy shrieked, shoving the man away from her. Sadly, he barely even budged, only looking down at her very smugly. ' _I'll wipe that ugly little smirk off your face someday, just you wait, Eltanin,_ ' Lucy thought viciously, eye twitching. Eltanin laughed again, placing a hand on the small of her back. "Come on, we're doing something a bit different today."

"Different?" Lucy repeated. "What are we going to do?" They walked for what seemed like minutes until she asked, "Wait, where's Draco?" She looked around, confused when she couldn't see the Celestial dragon in sight.

"Oh, Pops won't be working with us today," Eltanin said, walking past a grove of trees where he and Draco had trained her in to work on her flexibility.

"Where are we going?" Lucy asked, confused. They had been walking for a while now and she was no longer able to see the cave where they slept up in the mountains.

"Somewhere different," Eltanin replied vaguely. "I mean, we're still training, but with different people."

It clicked. "We're working with my spirits?" Lucy cried, clapping her hands excitedly.

"Yep," Eltanin said, smiling at her enthusiasm. He watched as Lucy pulled out her keys, but he placed a hand on her wrist, shaking his head. "Rule number one of Hesperides: don't summon your spirits here, Lucy."

Lucy's eyebrows rose. "That's rule number one?" she snarked. "I thought it was don't tickle the sleeping dragon."

Eltanin suppressed a snigger. "Anyways," he emphasized, his lips twitching as he tried to keep on track, "there's no need to summon your spirits anywhere here. We'll meet them where needed instead."

" _Them?_ " Lucy repeated, her eyes widening. "As in, more than one?" She clapped her hands again. "That's fantastic! I've missed them all so much!" Eltanin found himself smiling again at the angelic blonde. Celestial Mages, in the past few decades, had built a reputation of being abusive, dependent, and weak-willed, everything that Lucy Heartfilia was not. In the short time he had been acquainted with her, he and his father were able to see the sincerity and pure love she had of everyone she associated herself with. It was a rare but beautiful sight and a reminder for him that not every human or mage was as evil as he had long perceived them to be.

They arrived at the edge of the Garden, and Eltanin watched as Lucy began to run towards the two figures sitting on the grass. "Loke! Capricorn!" Lucy hollered, her arms waving wildly in the air. She ran straight into the Lion's arms, who nuzzled her to hs chest. Capricorn stood up, turning towards the two, and Eltanin's jaw damn near dropped to the floor when he saw a very, very minute (but still present!) smile on the goat spirit's face.

"Lucy-sama," Capricorn greeted when Lucy turned to him to give her spirit a hug. "It's been a while."

"For us, anyway," Loke said, his megawatt smile still brilliant on his face. "A single second without you, my princess, is like spending hell in eternity."

Eltanin's eye twitched. "Oh geez," he said loudly, "There you go again, Leo."

Loke whirled around, scowling darkly. "Eltanin!" he hissed, his magic sparking in his hands.

Capricorn cleared his throat. "We're not here to fight," he said soothingly, stopping the Lion in his tracks. "We're here to aid Lucy-sama with her training."

Like a switch that was flipped, Loke's entire demeanour lightened, and his hand dropped, his magic disappearing in a flash. "That's right," he said, grinning. "We're here to make you stronger than ever!"

Eltanin watched as the blonde seemed to wither. "You shouldn't worry so much, Lucy," he said, setting a comforting hand on her shoulder. Why was it that Lucy could never see what everyone else saw? For the many training sessions they had, Lucy constantly doubted herself, something that Eltanin was determined to eliminate fully. "Your magical capabilities are, for the lack of a better word, impressive right now. How many Celestial mages can keep four Spirit gates open like you? How many Spirits are willing to bend their contracts just for you?"

Eltanin smiled."You have the capability to stretch Celestial magic and conform it to your needs, something that hasn't been done in centuries. We can all see it, my father included." He cocked his head, sending her a smirk that had her blushing. "It's actually why he took you in as a protege in the first place."

"Oh," Lucy squeaked. "I didn't know—"

" _But_  it would take a while," Eltanin cut in, his encouraging mood suddenly vanishing. "Even though you have the magical capacity, you're still relatively untrained. Once we're done with you, though—" He pointed to himself, Leo, and Capricorn. "—you'd be able to build an empathetic bond with all your spirits. What that entails is a quicker summon, flexible contracts, and ability to actually utilize your spirit's type of magic without using the Star Dress. For you, Celestial Spirit magic would no longer be just a holder magic; it'd be a type of caster magic."

Lucy's jaw dropped, and her heart raced. Imagine the possibilities she could do with that! But then, Eltanin continued, "Of course, it's very hard for that to happen, and it takes a seriously long time for an Earthland mage to forge that bond." Eltanin grinned, and Lucy warily noted the evil glint in his eyes. "If you think me and Pops were tough on you before, you're in for a ride, my princess."

Loke scowled, stepping in front of Lucy protectively. "Don't intimidate her, Eltanin!" he admonished.

Lucy rolled her eyes, already used to Eltanin's scare tactics and roller coaster moods. Although she had a feeling that Eltanin was more powerful than he seemed— he was the son of Draco, the protector of the Celestial Realm, after all— the guy sure loved to mess with people. "It's okay, Loke," Lucy said, sending Eltanin a dirty look. "He's right, anyways."

Eltanin perked up. "Dost thou deceive me, my ear?" he declared dramatically. "Hath my Lady Lucy verily attest me correct in her endeavours?"

Lucy just gave him another withering look. "Oh, shut up." She turned back to her Celestial Spirits. "So what'd you guys have in mind?" she asked, clapping her hands.

Capricorn said, "Eltanin informed Leo and me that he and Draco focused on your physical fitness overall. Leo and I decided that we won't put you through intense intervals, but we first want to see how far you've come in your physical training, Lady Lucy."

Lucy knew what that meant. She groaned. "You want me to spar with you," she guessed, dropping her head miserably in her hands.

Loke shook his head, unable to hide his smirk. "Nope," he said. "We want you to spar with the both of us."

"Oh for fuck's sakes!"

* * *

Lucy laid on the ground, the grass poking her sweaty skin, and she stared, glassy-eyed, up at the beautiful blue heavens of the Garden. Capricorn, Loke, and Eltanin had completely worn her out, only stopping every so often to meditate for much longer periods of time. Then, they'd spar again and again, and in those sessions, Lucy wondered what the Spirits considered "intense" was like. She shuddered. Honestly, she'd rather not know.

She'd then asked Eltanin when she could rest, and he gave her a look and said, "Whenever the sun sets, my lady." She accepted the answer, enduring endless bruises, until it occurred to her while she was defending herself from Capricorn's blows that the sun never set in the Garden. It was always light outside, the sun's rays never descending into the mountaintops.

Needless to say, she was pissed at Eltanin.

Apparently, that burst of anger had sparked the bond between her and Leo— one that was all the more solidified in one of their meditation sessions— and she was able to imbue the magic of Regulus into her feet. She remembered lifting her foot in Eltanin's direction, a blinding burst of light, and later when the light died down, several burned trees, an impressed Capricorn, shocked Loke, and a knocked-out Eltanin was all she could see past the ringing in her ears. Then, she collapsed.

She woke up to a cool cloth towel pressed on her face and some needed approval from Capricorn for her to rest. She was thankful, of course, but dammit her body was so sore, she could barely even breathe. As much as she loved her Spirits, they were slave drivers! Absolutely no mercy!

"Hey, princess." Eltanin's deep voice washed over her, and Lucy peeked open one eye to see the handsome man looking down at her with a soft smile on his face. She motioned for him to lie down next to her, and his clothes brushed lightly against her skin. "Leo and Capricorn went back to the Celestial World," he informed her. "They said you did really well in training. And you did. I'm impressed."

"Even though I knocked you out?" she teased.

Eltanin scoffed, quickly turning his head away, but not before she caught the red tinge on his cheeks. Lucy smirked, proud that she had finally managed to knock the arrogant man down a couple pegs. "Yeah," he admitted. "When I came to, Leo told me that you'd managed to use his magic for just a fraction of a second. It's impressive, even if it was out of anger more than anything."

"Sorry about that."

"Are you really?"

"... nah." Eltanin snorted, absolutely not amused by the unapologetic tone in Lucy's voice. That girl had no shame, whatsoever. Not only did she very nearly kill him— alright, maybe that was a bit of an exaggeration— but she'd shown no appreciation for his involvement with her improvement. If he hadn't frustrated her, then she wouldn't have made much progress, dammit!

"I think Draco's calling us," Lucy suddenly said, surprising Eltanin. Since when could she sense Draco? 'Maybe since he took her in as his slayer,' he amended.

"What?" Lucy just rolled over in response, ignoring his surprised inquiry. She looked down on him, her eyebrows raised. "Princess!" he whined. "I was just getting settled!" He snuggled deeper into the ground to emphasize his point.

"Too bad!" Lucy said. "Come on, pops is calling!"

Eltanin snapped, "Hey, only I get to call him pops! He's my pops, not yours!"

"True, but he likes me more, doesn't he?"

Eltanin pouted. "Bitch."

Lucy fought down the urge to stick his tongue out at him. That would be juvenile. "Jerk."

What? She couldn't help herself.

* * *

"For an Earthland mage, keeping up a contract with a Celestial Spirit takes copious amounts of magic and energy away from the mage. It requires a ton of raw magic power, but it also puts you in an disadvantage because not only do you have to keep the gate between two worlds open, but also to pour magic into the Celestial Spirit for them to function properly in Earthland. It's why Celestial Mages are seen as weak in your world. People never take into account that the magic literally opens and is connected to a different realm."

Draco fixed Lucy a hard glare. "So if I hear you complaining that you're weak again, young lady, I will throw you into the ends of Hesperides myself and laugh heartily when you fall to your death, Ragnarok be damned."

Lucy felt a bead of sweat roll down her neck. "Yes sir," she muttered. She could see where Eltanin got his… interesting tendencies.

"See i told you," Eltanin grumbled next to Draco, his arms crossed around his chest. "Now what are we gonna do, Pops? Make her run around again? Fight her? Ooohhh, dump her in a lake and see if she can finally summon Aquarius' magic?"

Draco nudged his son, sending him flying into the ground a few meters from where he was standing. "Not this time, no. I'm teaching her the basics of Celestial magic. No, not Celestial Spirit magic— you'll get to do that with Eltanin and your Spirits— but the magic of the Celestial Realm itself."

Lucy settled down onto the soft grass, highly interested in what Draco had to say. "It's much different from Earthland's magic. While Celestial magic is undoubtedly powerful, it has limits, limits that adhere to the balance of the universe. And what is the one thing the universe revolves around?"

"Energy," Lucy breathed. "Celestial Magic is energy."

Draco bore his menacing teeth, his version of a proud smile. "Exactly. And, my dear Lucy, do you know of the Energy Theory?"

"Yeah," Lucy said. "Energy cannot be created nor destroyed."

"Ehh," Eltanin cut in. "Not necessarily."

Draco shot his son an irritated look, warning him not to cut in his lesson with Lucy. "The universe requires an equilibrium," Draco continued. "That is the very basic basis of its complexity. But energy can be created and can be destroyed—"

"As long as there's something sacrificed or something created," Lucy finished. "To keep that balance."

"Exactly," Draco said, impressed that his slayer was much more intelligent than he had given her credit for.. "And that is why Celestial Spirit magic is so draining. Remember that, Lucy: for every gain, there is a sacrifice. For every Celestial Spirit you summon, a little bit more of your magic is drained to benefit them. And that, my dear, is something that we will be working on until your next session with your Spirits."

Lucy grinned. "Yosh!" she cheered. "Let's do this, Draco!"

Beads of sweat rolled down Lucy's temples as she once more attempted to find the golden whirls of Loke's magic to no avail. "It's not working!" she whined, opening her eyes to see Loke, Virgo, and Gemini looking at her. "Why isn't it working? It worked when I knocked Eltanin's ass out before!" She ignored the indignant ' _Hey!_ ' from the man himself and the booming roar of laughter from a certain Celestial Dragon, looking up at her spirits dejectedly. "What am I doing wrong?"

Virgo spoke up, "I believe it's because you're not used to Leo's style of magic, hime-sama. Maybe you're only able to summon it during moments of intense emotions, but it doesn't fit your style." She gestured to Gemini. "Gemini's magic, on the other hand, is much more versatile and requires less combative skills. It involves much more magic and flexibility than Leo's does, but you have exactly that. Your style of magic matches Gemini's style of magic, and that's why you're able to control it better than Leo's."

Lucy relaxed at Virgo's explanation, but she still felt a sliver of disappointment at her failure. "Thank you, Virgo," she said, smiling at her pink-haired spirit. "It still doesn't change the fact that I'm still pretty disappointed."

"You're too hard on yourself, my princess," Leo said soothingly, patting her on the back. "You've made amazing progress in these little sessions we've had. Don't forget that."

Lucy smiled up at her spirits, thankful for their supportive comments. "Thanks guys," she said, her smile brilliant once more. "Now, who wants to spar?"

Eltanin and Draco watched as Lucy settled into one of the stances he had taught her when he first brought her back to the Garden after meeting Draco. It was stable and powerful, but not tense, and pride welled in their chests when she deftly dodged one of Loke's more powerful attacks and Virgo's earth magic all in one jump. "She's improved so much," Eltanin murmured as Lucy grabbed onto Virgo's chains and pulled the Spirit into one of the holes left on the ground. "I told you she'd be worthy."

"I saw it too," Draco agreed. "It's why I chose her as my slayer. Layla would be very proud of her." He glanced at his son, who was leaning leisurely against a tree, the boy's eyes soft as he surveyed Lucy's fight with her spirits. Draco suppressed a sigh at the sight. "Tan."

"Hmm?"

"Have you told her?"

Eltanin stiffened, and he crossed his arms across his chest, refusing to meet Draco's gaze. "I can't, Dad. I…"

"Eltanin," Draco growled out. "Look at the sky.  _Look at it_. It's becoming darker and darker everyday." While the sky was still bright and blue, and beautiful, the accumulating clouds hadn't escaped the two's notice. "We don't have much time before Ragnarok finds a vessel and wreaks havoc in Earthland."

Eltanin held up his hands in an attempt to assuage Draco. "I know," Eltanin said, sounding very stressed. "I will."

Draco only gave his son a resigned look. "But not now, huh?"

"Eventually."

The Garden of Hesperides was Eltanin's first home. He knew its landscape like the back of his hand, its ambience, its various flora and fauna that accompanied Draco and him. In all of his knowledge of the Garden, of the changes that had evolved it from one phase to another, the one constant was the weather.

Cloudless, sunny, beautiful. Never dark. Always light.

Until now.

Slowly, clouds were starting to gather, bit by bit covering the endless blue skies. The sun was no longer at its highest peak. Hell, Eltanin swore he heard thunder while his father was teaching Lucy the secrets of Celestial Magic. Life was changing in the Garden, and not for the better.

It was time. Lucy had to know.

The girl herself was wading in one of the cool rivers that ran through the mountains. Her arms were outstretched, eyes squeezed shut as she concentrated. On her back was a jug similar to Aquarius'. Lucy's hands skimmed over the water's surface, gaining a faint blue sheen, and she lifted them. Water from the river trailed after her hand, and Lucy began to twist her hands in a simple pattern. Eltanin watched in awe as the water filed into the jug without so much of a hitch.

Lucy had just learned how to control water magic.  _Aquarius_ ' magic.

Unable to help himself, Eltanin began to clap. Loudly. "Good job Lucy!" he hollered, a wide grin nearly splitting his face into two.

The blonde's eyes snapped open, and her concentration snapped. The water that floated above her lost its form, drenching the blonde as it fell and splashed back into the river. The jug on her back disappeared in a flash of light, transforming back to Aquarius' Key and plopping into the water. Lucy shrieked before falling to her knees and grabbing it before it was swept along with the river's current. She glared up at the now-laughing Eltanin. "Eltanin!" she snapped. "You ruined my concentration!"

"Constant vigilance, my dear Lucy. Constant vigilance."

Lucy twisted her hair, squeezing the water from her dripping hair. "What do you want?"

"To talk," Eltanin said casually, settling down on the grass.

"About?"

"The second part of your training," Eltanin replied.

"There's a second part?" Lucy deadpanned, and although he couldn't see past her wet hair, he knew that she had added an eye roll. The nerve of that girl.

"Oh you know," he said, deciding to let it go for once, "leaving the Garden to see how well you fare outside of the Celestial Realm, among other things." His lips twitched when Lucy gaped at him, her task of drying her hair momentarily forgotten, her appearance similar to a drowned cat. He smiled mysteriously.

"Yep. We're going back to Earthland, princess."


	6. Enter Laxus Dreyar

It had started out simply enough. Laxus was to go to the Council to finish some errands regarding Team Natsu ( _again_ ), specifically Natsu ( _no surprise there_ ), and their destructive tendencies, to put it lightly, in his gramp's place while the master berated the Fire Dragon Slayer and the others over the fourth town they destroyed over the span of seven months. Then, they asked him to get rid of a recent spike of dark activity in the outskirts of a small town as compensation and a "small"— actually being 500,000 jewels— reward to kill the causes. Of course, Laxus readily accepted. It was 500,000 jewels, for fuck's sakes. Why  _wouldn't_  he take it?

He didn't expect that the dark fuckers would be virtually unkillable.

Laxus barely dodged one of its heads aiming for his torso, his legs weighing him down like lead. When he had successfully killed one of those things by pure luck, another had aimed for his midsection. He had jumped away, but not before it sank its teeth in his calf. It had fucking  _stung like a bitch._  Laxus held himself up against a tree, forcing his eyelids to stay open as a wave of tranquility washed over him.

' _Fuck!_ ' Laxus thought in irritation as he eyed the beast that had gotten him past the sea of fatigue that threatened to overwhelm him. It had poisoned him. Whatever "it" was.

What even  _were_  they _?_

The beasts were large, each resembling what seemed like a conglomeration of animals, around the size of a wyver. They towered over him by a meter or two, sinewy muscles bulging from underneath the short, amber fur— scratch that, it was more like skin… or scales, if he squinted— that covered a majority of its body. From its two front limbs protruded sharp, jagged talons as black as the shadows, and its hind legs resembled the hooves of a goat. Ashen fur lined the juncture of its limbs and necks, the two furry heads bearing teeth sharper than knives. On its rear, what should've been a tail instead was a serpent, dark blue scales glistening ominously as it moved from side to side hypnotically.

_What were they?_

Laxus wheezed, bringing his hand to his mouth to wipe off the spit that expelled from his mouth. His head spun when his hand came back glistening red. Well.  _That_ wasn't very good. Distantly, he noted the monsters closing in, their movements slow and deliberate. He knew that he should move, but dammit, he was so tired…. His eyes fluttered shut.

"LAXUS!"

The blond blinked and blinked again, frowning when he couldn't seem to see past the blurriness that clouded his vision. He could've sworn that the voice sounded familiar, but before he could ponder on it, there was a mighty roar of pain and a thud of a body that had to be one of the monsters he had failed to kill. He squinted, and he saw the whip of light before he heard it crack against the back of one of the beasts.

The beast the whip had struck fell before him, dirt flying up and smarting his eyes. Laxus covered his tearing eyes and mouth to prevent the dust particles from irritating his nose any further. There was another roar not long after, and he peeked open one eye. His jaw dropped at the scene.

The bodies of the monsters he had failed to kill were now lying on the ground, the uneven lashes on their bodies dripping black liquid. How the fuck did the beasts die with a  _whip_  when his lightning did nothing but only serve to aggravate them?

His eyes fell to the fallen beast closest to him, and he wondered if the poison had reached his head and muddled his way of thinking. In one of its mouths was a sparkly, silvery  _something._ Weird. Why would there be something in its mouth?

"Laxus?" a voice asked much closer to him than he'd imagined, and he looked up to see beautiful gold hair framing a cute, pretty face. An angel? Nah. No way. Looked way too familiar to be an angel. A hand waved over his eyes, and he caught something pink at the back. Skin, maybe. But it couldn't be; the color was too artificial to be skin.

The hand grasped his jaw and Laxus found himself staring at wide, worried brown eyes. Like chocolate, he decided, chocolate he wanted to eat. Chocolate sounded fantastic right now, actually. Anything to get rid of the fatigue that weighed down his body.

Why was he talking about chocolate again? Wait, he wasn't talking. Oh, well, talking, thinking, it didn't matter. He could still  _hear_  himself.

"Laxus!" the voice repeated, harsher this time. His name was Laxus? It sounded pretty weird to him. "Damn, he's out of it, Tan."

Another voice piped up, this time distinctly male,"That's chimera poison for you. Fucks you and your thinking up before it shuts down your organs. Quick, summon Ascelpius, he'll be able to help."

Something popped into Laxus' muddled mind. That angel's voice sounded familiar.  _Really_  familiar. It reminded him of— "Keys."

"What?" the angel said. "Laxus, what did you say?"

" _Key,_ " he repeated huffily. Was it really that hard to understand?

"He said key, Lucy—" Lucy?  _Lucy?_

"I heard him, Tan."

_Lucy?!_

"Blondie?" he croaked out, eyes popping open.

"Hey there," Lucy said, smiling down at him. Laxus' eyes darted back to the fallen beast.  _She_ killed  _that?_

' _Well shit._ '

Lucy followed his line of vision before turning back to face him. "Oh, that's a chimera. It's dead. I killed it. Now, to heal you— wait a second." Lucy whirled around, standing up so quickly it gave Laxus a headache. "Holy shit, is that a  _key?_ " she squealed, bounding over excitedly to the corpse of the chimera.

Key? Forget the key, she was about to heal him, dammit! He watched helplessly as the woman ignored him, bending down to inspect the beast's mouth. ' _Oi, Blondie!_ ' he wanted to scream. ' _I am dying over here! Get the fucking key later and heal me first! Woman, get your priorities straight!_ ' But his throat hurt too much for him to say anything, much less yell.

Instead, he settled for a sigh. Today was not looking up to be a good day.

* * *

Soft, sweet humming and little bolts of pleasure dancing across his scalp lulled Laxus into consciousness. Almost immediately, he wished he didn't. He grimaced when his brain finally registered the screaming soreness everywhere in his body and the pounding in his head. It was like he'd been run over by a train after a night of endless drinking, it hurt that much. Something threaded in his hair. He moaned.

"Laxus?"

His eyes snapped open to meet slightly amused brown eyes looking down at him. Laxus' jaw fell wide open. " _Blondie_?" he rasped, not believing that it was the Celestial mage cradling his head on her lap. Hadn't she left Fairy Tail? More importantly, what the fuck was he doing on her lap? "What the fuck am I doing on your lap?"

_Did he just say that out loud?_

"Hello there," Lucy said, lifting his head and swiftly placing a pillow underneath. "How you feeling?" She stood up, smoothing down her skirt.

"Like I've been run over by a fucking train," Laxus replied immediately, then frowning.

Lucy seemed to have read his mind. "Sorry," she said sheepishly. "It's one of the side effects of the antiserum for the poison. It gets you talking."

"Well, it's a weird-ass poison," Laxus commented before gritting his teeth. What, was he going to vocalize every little thing he thought? Not if he had anything to do about it, that's for sure. He'll just keep his mouth shut, thank you very much.

"Yeah, that's chimera poison for you," Lucy agreed. "But at least you're getting better."

"How long was I out?"

"Only a couple of days," Lucy said. Laxus groaned. He needed to talk to his gramps before he'd go in a raging rampage in an attempt to find him. "Don't worry, I have a comm lacrima." Laxus looked at her in surprise. Could she read minds now or something?

"Actually yeah, I  _can_  read minds, but you said it aloud again." Lucy giggled, causing the Lightning Dragon Slayer to blanch. "I'm trying my best to control the mind reading, which is kinda why we're out of civilization at the moment." She gestured around her, and Laxus finally noticed the cotton canvas of a tent over his head.

"Huh," he said, "this is a pretty huge tent. Must be a pain to pack up." He gave her a side glance. "Unless it looks bigger in the inside."

Lucy released another giggle. "Yeah, it's smaller on the outside." She reached for a ratty bag that sat near Laxus' legs and pulled out a lacrima. "I'll leave to give you some privacy," she said, passing him the lacrima. "Oh, and Laxus?"

"What?"

She smiled sweetly. "Tell Master I said hi."

"You can do it yourself, Blondie."

Lucy waved her hand flippantly. "I have some errands to do, so I can't." Pulling back the tent's flap, she called over her shoulder, "I'll be back!"

Laxus blankly stared after her, his mind tired of the buzzing questions that never seemed to stop. "Okay then, weirdo," he muttered, raising the lacrima and sending a pulse of magic through. A few seconds later, his grandfather's face popped into the screen. "S'up, Gramps," Laxus said, and upon seeing who it was, Makarov's entire countenance darkened.

"Laxus Dreyar!" Makarov roared, his image flickering briefly in the lacrima. "You have a lot of explaining to do, young man! That little job I sent you to do should not have taken any more than two days!" The blond rolled his eyes. "Oi, don't give me that attitude, I was worried sick!"

"Gramps. Calm down." Makarov's face flushed red, mouth opening and ready for a lecture, and Laxus hastily continued, "The Council asked if I could kill some beasts that was giving this town some trouble."

"Then you should've told me about it, you brat!"

Laxus winced. "Yeah, there were some complications. I couldn't kill them for some reason, and I got high from their poison," he said before he could stop himself. His eyes widened, looking warily at the old man's now-blank expression. "Oh, fuck."

" _P-poison_?" Makarov spluttered.

"Sorry, shouldn't have said that. Side effect of the antitoxin, ya know."

"Anti—  _What?"_

"I dunno, it's what Lucy said. Or was it antiserum? Whatever, doesn't matter."

"Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait,  _Lucy?_ " Makarov asked. His eyes gained huge twinkles, and Laxus gave his grandfather a withering look. "You've seen Lucy? Lucy is there?"

"Nah, she went out to do something. She's the one who gave me this lacrima, actually."

Makarov calmed down and stared at his grandson strangely. "Why are you so talkative?"

"It's the serum!" Laxus said, annoyed. "Are you getting deaf or somethin', Old Man?"

Makarov released a sigh, deciding to let it slide. "Just tell Lucy I said hello. We miss her."

"Sure thing," Laxus said. "I'll see you later." He withdrew his magic, and the lacrima shut off. He looked around the tent— it really was quite spacious— and his eyes landed on the ratty old backpack Lucy had gotten the lacrima from. Standing up, and then subsequently falling to his knees when his legs refused to function, Laxus reached for the old thing. Quite a few clanks came from the backpack, and Laxus eyed it suspiciously.

"What the fuck?" He jiggled the backpack and winced when he swore he heard something break in there. "Shit," he muttered and promptly threw the lacrima inside, a particularly sparkly set of keys catching his attention before he closed the pack.

Lucy's head poked in. "You done?" she asked, grinning at him. "Come on, breakfast is ready!"

Laxus raised his nose and took a big whiff. Nothing. "You sure about that, Blondie? I don't smell shit out there."

"A scent-countering spell," Lucy replied, sidling up to Laxus' side to support his weight. He was almost tempted to push her off of him, but his limbs hurt so much he was forced to accept her help.

"Huh." He limped past the flap that Lucy held open for him, the first sight being a campfire and a pot hanging over it. "What for?"

"The monsters," Lucy said, helping him sit down on a log.

"Thanks," Laxus said gruffly, admittedly suffering from a blow to his pride when he realized that it was the second time he had gotten help from the same person. Lucy's mouth twitched, and catching that, Laxus glared at the fire.

"No problem." Lucy sat down across from him, opening the pot's lid to check its contents. "Yeah, we didn't want to attract anymore creatures. Or people."

"We?"

"My other companion," Lucy said, rolling her eyes. "He likes to call himself my mentor, and I guess he is, but he's so damn cocky—"

" _Who?_ "

"Oh, right." Lucy began to pour the pot's contents into some black, earthen bowls and handed one to Laxus. "His name is Eltanin. Do you remember a few months ago when Team Natsu and I did a mission in Redguon for a solitary noble and his stolen book?"

"Vaguely."

"Well, turned out the noble was Eltanin. He knew that I was the only Celestial mage in Fairy Tail, so he sent out the request in hopes that I see it. He didn't account Wendy, Erza, Gray, and Natsu joining in so it took awhile for us to actually sit down and talk. Anyways, long story short, he helped me with my magic because he's pretty well-versed in Celestial magic." Laxus didn't miss the knowing gleam in Lucy's eyes, like she knew something he didn't.

He didn't like that, but he let it go. It wasn't his business, anyway.

Laxus looked up when Lucy cleared her throat. "So, what's Fairy Tail been up to since I left?" He watched as Lucy swirled her spoon around her bowl.

' _She must be thinking about Natsu,_ ' Laxus thought. He may rarely ever show his face around in the guild, but it didn't mean that he wasn't aware of what was going around in the members' lives. Even a blind man could tell that Lucy and Natsu had something going on. Of course, the pink-haired idiot was too scared to continue anything, if he was even aware of the nature of his feelings in the first place.

"They're as annoying as ever," Laxus said, pulling himself from his musings. "Ever since you left, it's been a little bit quieter, but other than that, everyone pretty much returned to the normal routine. Team Natsu still exists, wreaking havoc everywhere they go." Laxus glared at his food fiercely. "In fact, they're the reason I got in this whole mess in the first place. If Natsu hadn't fucking burned an entire village down, I wouldn't have gotten my ass kicked—" Laxus gritted his teeth when yet again, something embarrassing that should not have slipped out  _slipped out._

Lucy smiled, knowing that the antivenom's effects had been gone for a while now. "That sounds like them," Lucy sighed despondently, twirling her hair on her. She didn't say anything after that.

Then, there was silence. Absolute silence, and as private a person as Laxus was, this particular silence was unbearably  _tense._ Deciding it was best to bring Lucy out of her funk, Laxus said, "So what have  _you_  been up to, Blondie?" He covered his smirk with the spoon when he saw her eye twitch dangerously on the nickname.

Lucy sniffed arrogantly. "Training," she said casually.

Laxus' eyebrows rose disbelievingly at her very casual tone. "You left Fairy Tail to  _train?_ " He snorted. The girl was attached to Fairy Tail like a dog to a bone; she had to have left for a different reason other than  _train_. "What's the real reason, Blondie? And don't even bother lying, I can smell lies a mile away." He tapped his nose arrogantly.

Lucy scowled, her grip on her utensil tightening. "... obnoxious spark plug…" she muttered.

"Real creative, Blondie."

"Like Blondie isn't either!"

Laxus waved away her complaint. "Whatever." He eyed her when she looked back at her food. "Don't think that I'm even distracted for one second. You didn't answer my question."

"Keys," Lucy finally said after several long seconds. "I'm looking for more keys."

"Why?" Laxus was honestly bewildered. Didn't she already own all the Zodiacs? Why would she need more? Where there even more keys than the Zodiacs and the silver keys?

"I'm sure you've heard of the recent disappearances of Celestial Mages all around Fiore, yeah?"

Laxus nodded, gulping down the soup. Ever since Lucy had left with Sting for her friend's funeral a few months ago, the guild had been besides themselves when it became clear that someone was intent on taking out Celestial mages. Team Natsu had just been about ready to initiate a search party for the blonde, but Gramps had prevented them from doing so, spouting something about trust and whatnot. "Yeah, what about them?"

"I'm investigating them with Eltanin," she said, her eyes darkening. "Whoever's capturing them killed Yukino too."

"Hmm. Never pegged you as one to avenge people."

Lucy shrugged. "I made a promise." He didn't say anything to that, knowing how much promises had meant something to Celestial mages. Finishing down the last of the soup, he waited for Lucy to continue. "Anyways," Lucy said, "Eltanin and I figured out that whoever's kidnapping them wants them for one thing and one thing only: their keys."

"I'm guessing you know why, too."

"Yes, I do." Lucy's eyes darkened as she gazed at Laxus. "Listen, Laxus, when you go back to Fairy Tail, please don't tell them about what I'm about to tell you. I want to explain the situation to them myself." Laxus was tempted to ask why, but he figured that it was a personal reason for the blonde girl. "Okay, when I went with Minerva back to Redguon—" She stopped herself, taking note of Laxus' perplexed expression. "—er, yeah, long story short, we're on good terms now. She went with me to Redguon, and there, Eltanin told us about Ragnarok."

"A children's myth?" Laxus snorted.

"Ragnarok is very much real, Laxus," Lucy said quietly, poking the burning wood with a stick. "It was able to break out of his seals and it won't be long until he finds a corporeal body strong enough to hold him. Or, rather, a Celestial Spirit mage strong enough."

"So he's getting Celestial Spirit mages for their bodies and keys." Damn, and Laxus thought  _he_ was a pervert.

"Exactly. Celestial Spirit mages are directly connected to the Celestial Realm, from which Ragnarok sprang. Add that to the fact that Celestial Spirit mages already hold so much magical capacity just to keep Spirits on Earthland… they're the ideal vessel for him."

"But not all Celestial Spirit mages hold enough power, unlike you," Laxus guessed. "So in a way Yukino dying was both a blessing and a curse."

Tears filled Lucy's eyes at Laxus' callous words, her sadness overpowering her anger. "How can you say that, Laxus?" she asked, aghast.

Laxus quickly shook his head. "That's not what I meant," he spat out forcefully. "Think about it, Blondie. I know that her death was unnecessary, but at least her body would not be used as a way for evil to come into this world. She was a powerful Spirit mage, wasn't she? She would've been the first contender, along with you, for Ragnarok's new body."

Lucy nodded stiffly, still miffed by what Laxus had said, but she understood his logic, even if it was a bit cutthroat. "You have a point," she admitted, staring at the fire intensely.

"As always." Laxus smirked, earning him a glare.

"Just shut it, Spark Plug."

Deciding to ignore the comment, Laxus asked, "Then what do the Celestial Spirit keys have to do with your journey of vengeance?"

"Well…" Lucy fidgeted, fingering the keys she kept at her hips. How should she put this…?

"Because," a strong male voice said from the foliage, "Ragnarok and his followers intend to take advantage of the Spirits connected to the Keys and use them like pawns in his little game of chess." A man stepped out from the shadows, tall and lean. He had pale skin, though not as pale as alabaster, and his arms were crossed in front of his chest, hints of muscles from underneath the black shirt he wore. His hair tickled the tips of his ears, the color so dark it looked almost blue in the sun's light. His facial features were chiseled and hard, and his eyes, flat and serious, were a shade of dark cerulean blue—almost obsidian— that Laxus never encountered before.

Lucy rolled her eyes. "That's Eltanin," she said, sending Laxus a tiny smirk. "Just ignore him, he's only trying to be dramatic."

Eltanin scowled, and he stomped his feet angrily on the ground like a child. " _Shut up, Lucy!_ " he snapped. "I am  _not_ dramatic!"

Lucy ignored him, continuing, "Add that to the fact that golden and silver keys are not the only Celestial Spirit keys out there. There's two more types: Iridium keys and Palladium. Not a lot is known about them because their whole existence has been kept secret for centuries."

"How do you know about them, then?"

Lucy gestured towards Eltanin, who was now standing behind her, arms still crossed. "Eltanin. He's well-versed in Celestial Magic, to say the least."

' _No, kidding,_ ' Laxus thought, glaring back at the male. ' _He doesn't smell like anything I know._ ' Laxus breathed in indiscreetly, attempting to take a whiff of Eltanin's scent. His brows furrowed. ' _No, he literally smells like nothing._ '

Lucy's mouth twitched, noticing Laxus' perplexed expression. Since Eltanin's body was made in the Celestial World, she supposed that Eltanin's scent was wholly unfamiliar for Laxus. "He taught me what the Irdiums and Palladiums are," Lucy continued and extended her hand, which now held the keys Laxus was  _sure_ he saw in the bag earlier.

Laxus' eyes widened. "How the fuck—"

Lucy grinned. "I told you, Spark Plug. I've been training for a while now." Laxus's eyes narrowed; it was only a few months since Lucy had left, so how could she have learned a completely different kind of magic from her own? Deciding it was best, Laxus filed away the interesting piece of information to bring up for later. "This key right here—" She pointed to an-almost iridescent key with a simple inscription engraved at the top. "—is an Iridium key, which summon spirits specializing in combat, like Loke.

"The Palladium, however, are much,  _much_ more powerful than the Iridium and the Zodiacs, and thankfully, much rarer. They're technically not Celestial Spirits; they're practically  _gods._ Because of that, making a contract with them is hard; they're not under any laws to follow any Celestial Spirit mage." Lucy paused, eyes darkening. "I mean, it is possible to have them under contract, but you need to severely weaken them first before forcing them into one. But me…. I'm never doing that to  _anyone._ "

She looked up at Laxus. "You actually led me to a Palladium key yesterday, and I now have two thanks to you," she said, smiling at him. He ignored the urge to smile back. "Thanks, Laxus."

Giving her a terse nod, Laxus glanced at her key ring. "How does it look like?"

"She doesn't have it anymore," Eltanin cut in. "Once you make a contract with Palladiums, their keys disappear. They're contracted and connected to the mage forever until he or she dies."

"I see." Laxus turned to Lucy. "How many more keys do you need to find?"

"A lot," the blonde beauty said vaguely. "It'll probably take me a few more months to get the rest."

Laxus narrowed his eyes, and catching that, Eltanin snarked, "What? Are you going to help us or something?"

A slow smirk began to spread on Laxus' face, and Eltanin cursed himself for speaking out and challenging the male. "Actually," Laxus purred, a slow smile spreading across his face, "I don't see why not."


	7. 2 Years Later

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Because I'm not really great in developing a timeline of events in the story without confusion, here's a timeline I made:
> 
> 15 September X795: Lucy leaves Fairy Tail. Physical/mental age: 20-21
> 
> 15-26 September X795: Lucy and Minerva embark on mission. Minerva helps Lucy w/ physical training
> 
> 26 September: Meets Eltanin and Draco. Leaves for the Garden of Hesperides to train
> 
> 27 September X795: In search of keys with Eltanin. No time passed on Earthland. Physical age: 20-21. Mental age: 26
> 
> January X796: Laxus joins Lucy and Eltanin. Goes back and forth between Fairy Tail and hunt for keys as "missions"
> 
> Late March X796: Laxus leaves duo temporarily [reason(s) why will be hinted at]
> 
> Early May X796: Comes back and helps Lucy and Eltanin again. More permanent fixture; does not travel back and forth btwn Fairy Tail and duo
> 
> Late August X797: This chapter

"NATSU DRAGNEEL!" The shout reverberated across the guild, silencing all conversations as heads turned to the resident Fire Dragon Slayer. The man himself flinched, releasing Gray from his arm lock, and timidly looked up at the balcony, where a fuming Makarov stood.

"Yes, Gramps?" he asked.

Apparently, that was the wrong thing to say, as not soon after a giant hand came crashing down on the pink-haired male, anyone around the dragon slayer scrambling to get out of the way. Natsu hung limply from Makarov's grasp, unconscious. Angered, Makarov violently shook his fist, jolting Natsu awake. The dragon slayer cowered at Makarov's furious look. "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO MY OFFICE?" Makarov boomed.

"I fixed it, just like you asked!"

Makarov's eyebrow twitched dangerously. He dropped Natsu in a huff, and the dragon slayer landed oh-so-gracefully in a shapeless heap. "Come to my office," he thundered.

Natsu winced, rubbing his bruised shoulder and arm. Sending a snickering Gray a glare, he slowly stood, limping up to Makarov's office. There, Makarov stood, his arms crossed. "Well?" the old man demanded, gesturing wildly around his office.

Natsu took one look at the several stacks of papers he had made around the office and shrugged. "What about it? It looks neat to me."

Makarov flushed red before grabbing sheets of paper from the stack nearest him and read, "'Finances in October', 'Missions Taken in June,' 'Council Meeting Log'?! Natsu, you call this neat? They're all completely unrelated to each other! You messed up the papers on my desk! You ruined what little order I had in this office!"

Natsu held up his hands. "I'm sorry!" he whined. "I thought they were already organized and that you wanted me to organize them like that!"

Makarov's face, if it were even possible, turned a deep shade of royal purple. "Natsu…"

"Okay, okay!" the dragon slayer said, dodging the communication lacrima sent towards his way. "Why didn't you ask anyone else to do it instead?"

"Like who?" Makarov snapped.

"Erza?"

"Council meeting. For the destruction  _you_  caused in Mountain Village."

"Levy?"

"She's getting married, Natsu."

"Lisanna?"

"Helping out her very  _pregnant_  sister."

Natsu huffed, Makarov's caustic tone going over his head. "Well, why not just call in Laxus? It's his job isn't it?"

Makarov sent him a withering look. "I told you, he's on a year-long mission. It's why I asked you to help in the first place, Natsu."

Natsu pouted, put out at the disappointed tone in Makarov's voice. "Sorry," he mumbled, unable to meet Makarov's eyes, opting instead to stare at the pristine floors of the master's office.

Seeing the dragon slayer's despondent disposition, Makarov sighed, rubbing his face with his hand. Perhaps he had been a bit sharper than he'd normally be to Natsu, but after receiving a particularly worrying report from Laxus, Makarov had been on edge since then. Seeing his office in such a state of disarray was certainly no help either. "Next time, try not to mess up the papers," Makarov said.

Natsu looked up in alarm. "Next time?" he squeaked out.

Makarov nodded sharply, shuffling through the miscellaneous stack of papers on his desk that Natsu otherwise left alone (though why the dragon slayer did, Makarov would never know nor ever care to know). "Well, maybe not," he amended, now speeding through a column of papers nearest his desk. "Laxus might come back soon hopefully…" he said absently under his breath, squinting at a paper that was dated six years ago.

Unfortunately for the Master, Natsu caught what he had said. "What?" Natsu perked up. Laxus was coming back? "He's coming back?" he asked excitedly, his previous morose stance immediately jumping up in excitement.

Makarov froze; he had not meant to reveal that little tidbit. "What do you mean?" Makarov said serenely, moving on to the farthest stack of papers away from Natsu.

Natsu glared at the elderly man. "I heard you!" he said excitedly. "Laxus is coming back, isn't he?" He grinned, pumping his fist in the air. "Yoshi!" he shouted. "I won't have to do anymore jobs for you!"

Makarov rubbed his nose in irritation. "Just go, Natsu," he said, fed up with the dragon slayer.

Natsu flashed another bright smile, bounding out of the office in a much happier mood than when he had entered.

Mira was the first to notice. Curious, she called Natsu's name, beckoning him to come closer at the bar. "Hey, Mira," Natsu chirped. "Hey, Lis." The smaller Take Over mage greeted him back, her voice muffled by the stack of boxes she was carrying to the storage room.

Mira smiled, wringing the towel in her hands over the sink. "I hope Master didn't go too hard on you," she said, giggling. "But I guess it didn't really seem to bother you, ne?" She poured a drink she knew Natsu liked in a glass mug and handed it to the dragon slayer.

Natsu snorted, gladly taking the mug from Mira. "Nah," he said proudly, his chest puffing up. "Master doesn't scare me."

Mira decided not to comment on the fact that just fifteen minutes ago, he had been a cowering, spineless mess before the Master. "Mm-hm," she hummed, continuing her work. "What did Master say?"

Natsu sipped his drink, shoulders raising. "Nothing much," he said before slamming the mug back at the bar, his eyes wide in excitement. Mira jumped, whirling around to glare at the slayer, her hand on her chest. "Oh!" he said loudly, eyes brightening as he remembered something important. "Laxus is coming back!"

Lisanna bounded up next to her sister, looking at Natsu curiously. "Is he really?" she asked, looking around for her boyfriend. "Does Bickslow know about this? He doesn't say much, but I'm pretty sure he misses Laxus-san."

Natsu shook his head. "Nah, I don't think anyone really knows about it."

"Well, it's nice that he'll be back, nonetheless," Mira said. "It's been, what, a year?"

"I'm just glad I won't have to help out Gramps anymore," Natsu said. He shivered, thinking back to the impossible tasks Makarov would give him and the constant reprimanding he would get from Makarov whenever he completed them. No matter how hard he worked, it seemed that nothing could satisfy the Master.

"I wonder why he's been gone for an entire year though," Lisanna said, her eyebrows furrowed. "He rarely ever goes on missions since Master always asks him to help out with paperwork."

"That's true," Mira muttered, stopping in her tracks and exchanging looks with her younger sister.

"The fact that Master would allow him to leave and have  _this_ idiot take over—"

"Hey!" Natsu cried, offended. "Lisanna!"

"—is pretty suspicious," Lisanna continued, as if Natsu hadn't interjected. She rubbed her chin thoughtfully. "I wonder what the mission is for Laxus to have left his duties for an entire year."

"And most of all, why would Master allow him to do so?" Mira added.

"Whatever the case," Natsu cut in, "it's givin' me a headache."

Lisanna sighed, shaking her head. "Everything gives you a headache, Nat," she said dryly. Natsu grumbled into his mug, and Lisanna began to organize the bar, Mira wiping the last of the dust away from the now-slick table.

Natsu watched them, admiring the two sisters' easy teamwork. Ever since Mira began to show, Lisanna had taken it upon herself to help her sister in her duties so she wouldn't strain herself. Freed, the proud and neurotic father and husband to Mirajane Justine nee Strauss, was grateful for her help, but Natsu always caught him watching his wife work, alert and ready to pounce in the slightest form of danger, more times than he could count.

The dragon slayer sighed despondently into his cup. So much had changed ever since Lucy left. Mira marrying Freed and getting pregnant was just one of them. Two years had come and changed everything he knew, himself included, and yet every now and then, he'd find himself thinking about her.

How was she doing?

What was she doing?

Where was she?

Why did she leave?

_Did she miss him, too?_

The others must have noticed his moping, as no one else bothered Natsu much from then on, even Gray. As much as he enjoyed tormenting Natsu, the Ice Demon Slayer understood the hothead's feelings. Though, Gray thought, he wasn't sure if Natsu knew just what those feelings were exactly. Shaking his head at Natsu's oblivious nature, Gray simply passed the pouting dragon slayer and walked towards Juvia, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. He smiled softly as her entire face turned a bright red.

God, he loved surprising her sometimes.

"G-Gray," Juvia stuttered, her blush not going away. Years with the Ice Make mage helped her drop the formality with Gray, and yet she never once was able to shed her nervous response to Gray's presence. "Juvia thought you were on a mission."

"I was," he said, smiling, holding up a bag of jewels proudly. "And it was a success."

Juvia broke out in a warm smile. "Juvia is glad," she said softly and pressed a gentle kiss on his lips.

"Oh-ho-ho!" a voice tittered from behind them, and the two lovebirds pulled apart. " _Finally_  you give me proof that you two really are dating!"

"Mira!" Gray huffed, crossing his arms in irritation. Why did the She-Devil have to interrupt their moment, dammit!

Mira giggled, setting down a plateful of fries in front of Juvia. "Sorry," she said rather un-apologetically. "Just doing my duties, you know?" Gray grumbled in response, and Juvia and Mira exchanged amused looks. "I'm glad you guys are going out, though," Mira said before leaning in conspiratorially. "It's been a long relationship in the making."

"I know," Gray said, wrapping his arm around Juvia. How was it that he had always tried to run away from her before?

Mira smiled. "It's good," she repeated before her smile saddened. "Some people have to wait, while others don't know when it will come back." She gestured to Natsu.

Sensing that Mira wanted to talk to them about something, Juvia took a seat, inviting the white-haired beauty to sit across her and Gray. "Juvia  _has_  noticed that Natsu-san is much sadder," she said, glancing briefly at Natsu himself.

"Right," Gray agreed. "Ever since Lucy left." The trio didn't say anything for a while. Like Natsu, they missed the blonde's presence in the guild more times than they could count. For Gray, it was weird not seeing the blonde he considered as a sister and her brilliant smile. For Juvia, it was weird not having Lucy talk to her in the mornings. For Mira, it was weird not having Lucy's laugh tinkling across the guild hall. For them, it was normal for people to leave and exit their lives permanently; but for them, Lucy was an exception.

She was nakama, and they missed her.

"You know," Mira said after a while, "I overheard Master talking to someone a couple months back. Looking back on it, I think it may have been Lucy."

Juvia's and Gray's head snapped to Mira, their eyes wide. "What do you mean, Mira-san?" Juvia asked, leaning forward. At the sharp look from the former barmaid, Juvia amended, "Mira."

"I didn't hear much of what was being said," Mira said. "But I definitely heard Master's voice and a woman responding. I think they were discussing a mission of some sort." She sighed. "I didn't hear much of it," Mira said, annoyed with herself. "I got distracted when you and Natsu began to fight." She glared at Gray, who flushed under her dark gaze.

"He's annoying," Gray grumbled, taking a sip of Juvia's drink. "Can you blame me for wanting to punch his face in?"

Mira ignored him. "But you know what's really suspicious?" Mira took a quick look at her sister, who was busy tending the bar. "Lisanna, Natsu, and I were actually discussing this earlier. About Laxus and his mission."

Gray and Juvia looked at each other. "Laxus-san has been gone for a year," Juvia agreed slowly.

"It  _is_  pretty weird that he took a year-long mission," Gray added. "Do you know what his mission is, Mira?"

"That's the thing," Mira said. "I think Master was the one who approved it."

"What?" Gray and Juvia gasped, gaping at her.

"But why?" Juvia asked. "Doesn't Master need Laxus-san for everything?"

"Exactly," Mira said, nodding. "He does. Even little errands that the old man could do himself he has Laxus do them. Why would Master allow Laxus to go on a year-long mission when he has his own duties here?" She tapped her chin thoughtfully. "I think the reason why may be in the fact that he also took smaller missions for three months before finally going on the year-long one."

Understanding dawned in Gray's eyes before he leaned back. "Ah. Right. I remember. It started after Master chewed us out for destroying an entire village. Laxus fried mine and Natsu's asses because he had to go to the Council to pardon our actions." He shivered from the memory. Laxus and his lightning were no joke. His entire  _body_  still hurt from the lightning Laxus sent his way.

Mira giggled along with Juvia. Seeing Gray and Natsu with their hair smoking from Laxus' lightning and the glazed sheen in their eyes was a sight the two would never forget. "Right," Mira said. "That errand itself shouldn't have taken a long time, but it took Laxus two weeks to come back from it. From then on, he began to go on missions, ranging from three days to an entire week. All of which were approved from Master." She saw Gray's confused look and sighed. "My point is, I think whatever Laxus was doing in those little missions was something a bit bigger."

"Like a guise?" Juvia asked, confused. "Are you suggesting that Master had Laxus doing missions for him?"

"Exactly!" Mira said. "And I think I know why." She leaned closer. "Have you guys heard about the Black Sun?"

Gray and Juvia exchanged glances. "Yes," Juvia said, nodding. "A dark guild."

"They're pretty new, though," Gray said, "and nothing malicious has been traced back to them, except maybe for a few thefts here and there."

"They're most likely in the Council's watchlist," said Juvia. "But probably not high up there, either."

"Wait, do you think Master has Laxus tracking Black Sun?" Gray said, bewildered. "But why? They've existed for, like, two years, but they haven't really done anything other than take a few jobs no other legal guilds would take!"

Mira huffed. "How am I supposed to know?" she snapped. "It's just a suspicion, okay?" Gray quietened, slowly holding his hands up in a placating manner. "Look, I think this all traces back to Lucy."

Gray's mouth dropped. "But  _how_?" he stressed, getting riled up from the tension of not knowing.

"I'm getting there!" Mira shot Gray a glare. "Black Sun was established two years ago— more specifically, a month after Lucy left Fairy Tail. Then, Celestial Spirit mages began to disappear  _after_  the Black Sun was listed as a dark guild. Finally, the woman Master was talking to—who I'm pretty sure is Lucy— mentioned tracking down the Black Sun."

She gave the couple a serious stare. "I think Laxus and Lucy are working together to bring down the Black Sun. I know you said that nothing really bad has been connected back to that guild, but for goodness sake's Gray, it's a  _dark guild_. What else did you expect? It's suspicious in and of itself that it hasn't tried to make a reputation of itself!"

"But the pieces don't fit," said Gray. "Lucy left before Black Sun was a thing, so she couldn't have meant to chase after them."

Mira scowled, getting annoyed at Gray's slow thinking. "That's the thing!" she hissed. "Yukino's death, the  _first of several other Celestial Mages_ who began to disappear, was probably because of the Black Sun. Just because they weren't in the public eye doesn't mean they didn't exist then!"

"So then why did Lucy leave? To mourn Yukino, isn't it?" Gray asked, frustrated. He opened his mouth to say more when Makarov flew down the stairs, capturing the attention of several guild members.

Mira looked up. "Master?" she called, confused and worried about the urgency in his movements. "What is it?"

"They need help," he said breathlessly before his face hardened, barking out, "Wendy, Gajeel, Levy, Natsu, Gray, Juvia— to my office,  _now._ " Gray and Juvia looked at each other, eyes wide, before jumping up and dashing to the Master's office, leaving Mira to stare worriedly after them.

The six guild members gathered into Makarov's office, murmuring amongst themselves. The Master followed them not long after, slamming the door behind him. "Thank you for coming in here as quickly as possible," he said briskly. "I will explain everything later, but first, let me call Erza and Jellal." Makarov began to set up a lacrima connection, the others watching his stiff but quick movements.

"I thought Erza was meeting with the Council," Natsu whispered not too softly.

"Jellal's part of the Council, you dumb fuck." Gray hissed in respnse.

Two metal hands knocked the two argumentative friends' heads against each other. Gajeel glared at the two murderously. "Behave," he growled, not amused by their antics.

Makarov sat back, done with his work and waiting for the lacrima to connect. He gave Gajeel an appreciative look. "Thank you," he said just as the lacrima screen burst into life.

Erza was looking at the group curiously, her red hair glinting from the sun. She shifted the lacrima so she could see them properly. "Master?" she asked. "What is it?"

"Erza, is Jellal there?"

Erza sputtered and were the situation not as solemn as it was now, the others would have laughed at her reaction. The mighty Titania blushed a brighter shade of red than her hair before nodding sheepishly. "He is," she said, and a muffled voice greeting them confirmed her words. Not soon after, Jellal's face popped up in the screen, and he sent them a sheepish smile and wave.

"Good." The Master nodded tersely, turning to address everyone in the room. "Listen up. I'm sure you're all confused, and for waiting so patiently for me to explain, thank you." Makarov settled on his chair, face perturbed. "As you all know, Laxus has been busy with a mission for a year. Long story short, I'm the one who sent him in this mission."

"I knew it!" Natsu said. "Mira and Lis were right!"

Makarov gave the dragon slayer a withering glare. "Anyways, I received two disturbing calls from him, which is why I'm calling you all here today."

"You need us for a mission," Gray said, his eyebrows furrowing.

"Exactly," Makarov said gravely. "An emergency rescue mission with a team who could complete retrievals as quickly as possible.

"I need you all to retrieve Laxus and Lucy from Black Sun."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here's the last chapter I finished for this story!!! YAY!
> 
> As for the next chapter-- chapter 8 here, chapter 7 in fanfiction.net-- I'm still working on it. But rest assured, I will update whenever I have time!! This, and Shadows We Walk In, which honestly is a bit more of a priority for me ^^;
> 
> Anyways, I hope you guys enjoy! :)


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